What happened? BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BCRX) stock is dropping sharply on Thursday after the biotech company reported disappointing fourth-quarter financial results. BioCryst's shares were down by 8.4% as of 1:53 p.m. EST. So what BioCryst's total revenue for the fourth quarter ending Dec. 31 was roughly $4 million, down from the $39.7 million in revenue recorded during the year-ago period. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the company recognized a one-time revenue of $20.1 million, and it also reported $13.9 million in revenue from the sale of flu medicine Rapivab under a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. During Q4 2020, BioCryst did not record any sales from Rapivab; these factors help explain the year-over-year decrease in the company's top line. Image source: Getty Images. Still, the biotech's revenue came in well short of the $14.74 million consensus analyst estimate. On the bottom line, BioCryst recorded a net loss of $60.5 million and a net loss per share of $0.34. During Q4 2019, the company reported a net loss of $2.6 million -- or $0.02 on a per-share basis. The consensus estimate for the company's bottom line was a net loss of $0.25. For the full fiscal year 2020, BioCryst posted total revenue of $17.8 million and a net loss per share of $1.09. Those metrics were below the $28.2 million in revenue and the $1 loss per share analysts expected. Now what Despite BioCryst's disappointing fourth-quarter financial results, investors have something to look forward to with this healthcare stock. Back in December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the company's Orladeyo, a once-daily pill to prevent hereditary angioedema attacks. The company expects this medicine to rack up global peak sales of more than half a million dollars. Thanks to Orladeyo, BioCryst's financial results could look much better this year than they did last year. 10 stocks we like better than BioCryst PharmaceuticalsWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and BioCryst Pharmaceuticals wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 24, 2021 Prosper Junior Bakiny has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source