Key Highlights

  • Karyopharm tops the group at 27.46% higher at $0.61, while Allogene is the smallest mover at 6.50% higher at $1.31.
  • All five trade below $5 on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, from $0.21 for Senti Biosciences to $1.57 for PDS Biotechnology.
  • Allogene held $423.6 million in cash, equivalents and investments at June 30, 2026, against $5.6 million at PDS Biotechnology.
  • Karyopharm's lender forbearance period runs to November 1, 2026.
  • Onconetix's 1-for-10 reverse split is expected to take effect on November 6, 2026.

Which Biotech Penny Stocks Are Trading Higher on October 28, 2026?

Five biotech names priced under $5 are trading higher on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and they are ranked here by the size of the percentage move, from largest to smallest. Karyopharm (NASDAQ:KPTI) is trading 27.46% higher at $0.61 during a lender forbearance period, PDS Biotechnology (NASDAQ:PDSB) 20.77% higher at $1.57 as it focuses on its PDS0301 colorectal cancer program, and Onconetix (NASDAQ:ONCO) 18.02% higher at $0.56 ahead of a reverse split. Senti Biosciences (NASDAQ:SNTI) is trading 13.31% higher at $0.21 a week after its merger closed, and Allogene Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ALLO) is 6.50% higher at $1.31 with a pivotal cema-cel trial enrolling.

Karyopharm, PDS Biotechnology, Onconetix and Allogene have no dated release explaining today's move, and for Senti Biosciences the move has not been tied to a specific cause. The sections below condense each company's story, followed by calculated comparisons and the dated events to watch.

1. Karyopharm: Why Is a Distressed Drugmaker Trading 27.46% Higher?

Karyopharm is trading 27.46% higher at $0.61 after closing at $0.4821 on Monday, October 26, 2026, following a 6.84% decline that day. No dated company release accompanied the move. The Newton, Massachusetts drugmaker sells the cancer medicine XPOVIO and has about 22.68 million shares outstanding, which puts its equity value near $13.8 million (calculated).

The lender forbearance period under its indentures was extended on October 22 to November 1, 2026, and the June 30 quarterly report flagged substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Cash and equivalents were $55.0 million, with $10.1 million of investments, against $69.5 million of scheduled debt payments over twelve months. Short interest of 7,266,973 shares for the October 15, 2026 settlement equals about 32% of shares outstanding (calculated) and 4.84 days to cover.

2. PDS Biotechnology: What Sits Behind a 20.77% Jump With No Release Today?

PDS Biotechnology is trading 20.77% higher at $1.57, an implied prior close near $1.30 (calculated), just below its $1.60 close on October 13, 2026. No release dated today explains the move. The Princeton, New Jersey company develops targeted cancer immunotherapies and has refocused on PDS0301, an investigational IL-12 immunocytokine. In a National Cancer Institute-led Phase 2 colorectal cancer study, the six-month objective response rate was 77.8% (7 of 9 patients), against 35% in a parallel trial.

A September private placement closed with gross proceeds of about $11.3 million, and a resale registration covers up to 110,001,540 shares. Cash was $5.6 million at June 30, 2026, and filings cite limited cash among the factors that may affect its ability to continue as a going concern. Nasdaq issued a bid-price deficiency notice on July 30, 2026.

3. Onconetix: What Does an 18.02% Gain Mean Ahead of a Reverse Split?

Onconetix is trading 18.02% higher at $0.56, an implied prior close near $0.47 (calculated), with no dated company release on October 28. On October 26 it announced a 1-for-10 reverse stock split expected to take effect on November 6, 2026, which would reduce about 5,886,774 shares outstanding to roughly 588,677. The company is built around Proclarix, a blood test for assessing prostate cancer risk that is approved for sale in the European Union.

It is also pursuing an all-stock acquisition of Realbotix, a maker of AI-powered humanoid robots, and has advanced $3.0 million of an up to $5.0 million bridge facility, including $500,000 on October 23. Cash was $5.94 million at June 30, 2026, and the latest quarterly filing carries a going-concern warning.

4. Senti Biosciences: What Happens After the Merger Closes and the Notes Convert?

Senti Biosciences is trading 13.31% higher at $0.21, an implied prior close of about $0.185 (calculated), a week after its merger closed on October 21, 2026. No cash was paid at closing. Each share instead carries one contingent value right, with a combined maximum of $60.0 million tied to SENTI-202 milestones, and the filing calls payments highly speculative.

Senior secured notes of $16.0 million are due to be exchanged into common stock at $0.342 per share today, October 28, which equals roughly 46.8 million shares (calculated) against 31.1 million outstanding at the record date. Cash was $6.5 million at June 30, 2026, and Nasdaq issued bid-price and stockholders' equity notices on August 27.

5. Allogene: Why Is a Cash-Rich CAR T Developer Trading 6.50% Higher?

Allogene is trading 6.50% higher at $1.31, an implied prior close near $1.23 (calculated), with no dated company release. The South San Francisco company develops allogeneic, or off-the-shelf, CAR T cell therapies, and its market value is about $453 million on 345.49 million shares (calculated). Cash, equivalents and investments were $423.6 million at June 30, 2026, with a runway guided into 2029.

In an April interim analysis of the pivotal ALPHA3 cema-cel trial, minimal residual disease negativity was 58.3% versus 16.7% for observation, although the sample was small. Short interest was 55.61 million shares, or 19.73% of float, with 9.71 days to cover.

Biotech Penny Stocks Compared: How Far Apart Are the Moves, Prices and Cash Positions?

The gap between the largest and smallest move is 20.96 percentage points (27.46% for Karyopharm minus 6.50% for Allogene, calculated), while PDS Biotechnology and Onconetix sit only 2.75 percentage points apart (calculated). Prices span $1.36 between the highest and lowest quote ($1.57 for PDS Biotechnology minus $0.21 for Senti Biosciences, calculated).

Cash balances at June 30, 2026 show a wider spread: Allogene's $423.6 million compares with $5.6 million at PDS Biotechnology, a difference of $418.0 million (calculated). Short interest cannot be ranked across the group because the bases differ: Allogene's 19.73% is a share of float, while Karyopharm's roughly 32% is a share of shares outstanding.

What to Watch Next: Karyopharm's November 1 Deadline, Onconetix's November 6 Split and Allogene's Fourth-Quarter Update

Karyopharm's forbearance period ends on November 1, 2026 unless extended again, with third-quarter results estimated for around November 6. Onconetix's reverse split is expected on November 6 and its third-quarter report around November 12. Senti Biosciences' note exchange is due today, with a resale registration statement due within 30 days of the October 21 closing. Allogene expects an ALLO-329 lupus update in the fourth quarter of 2026, and the Nasdaq compliance window for PDS Biotechnology runs to late January 2027 (calculated).