It is a bust day and I do not have much time to write. I wanted to get something quickly out on $ONTX. You can read my street article that talks about what went wrong. In general, $ONTX got tripped up just where we figured it might. That being said the trial was close (as […]
Week’s Option Activity (2/04 ~ 2/19)
The following stocks had notable activity in their options during the past week(s): $ARRY (2/4): 2,000 JUN 5.0 strike Puts were sold to open (stock at $4.52) against the purchase (to close) of 2,000 FEB 5.0 strike Puts for net proceeds of $100,000. Seller makes money as long as stock trades above $4.50 by expiration. […]
February 19 Biotech Update- Talking Gene Therapy
We have had a strong couple of days and clearly the biotech rally is in continuation mode but I still would not be surprised to see a day or two like today where it rests a little. Keep in mind that the IBB index is essentially an index of large cap biotechs and will move […]
A look at Auspex Pharma
Lately, it seems like there is a new biotech IPO being filed every other day. Today, we want to take a look at a recent IPO, Auspex Pharmaceuticals (ASPX). Auspex recently raised 7 million shares at $12 per share and has roughly 22.5 million shares outstanding. It is currently valued around $550 million in market […]
February 17 Biotech Update- A Presidents Day Bonus
The market is obviously closed today but I wanted to have a brief note because I am not sure I will have time to write anything significant tomorrow. 1. One question that has been in the back of my mind is M&A. I keep expecting to see more as BMY, GILD, PFE, and others have […]
High Risk, High Reward With GW Therapeutics (GWPH)
In just a year’s time, GW has morphed from a company focused on the marketing of an approved product to one dedicated to the development of an early stage orphan drug candidate. A majority of the company’s valuation is now derived from this Phase I anti-epilepsy treatment. Crucial data from an ongoing Investigator Sponsored Trial […]
February 14 Biotech Update- A Churning, Choppy Day
The market has been good the past couple of days with biotechs continuing higher, although it still seems to me that we are in a pause that should refresh as opposed to being ready to move higher. In some ways it depends on the macro environment but perhaps we will finally get to a stock […]
February 12 Biotech Update- Getting Stretched or the Pause that Refreshes?
It seemed more like a treading water day in the market than a directional move, which is again not bad for biotech. It is said that markets do not give you a lot of time to sell at the top or buy at the bottom and to me this means that the sideways trading is […]
Update on Protalix
On Wednesday, Protalix (PLX) will present data from their phase I clinical trial of oral glucocerebrosidase (GCD), or Oral GCD (PRX-112), in patients with Gaucher disease. The presentation will be at 1:15pm PST at the Lysosomal Storage Disease Network WORLD Symposium (LDN WORLD). While Sanofi/Genzyme are nearing potential approval of Cerdelga (eliglustat), the data should […]
Catalyst Watch – Vol. 2, Edition 4 (2/11/14)
Below are current tactical and strategic thoughts on approaching FDA and clinical trial catalysts for select names. Estimates, values and views are as of the date published (or are noted), are subject to potential future, pre-catalyst revision and are not intended as investment recommendations. Please read our Disclaimer: (1) Catalyst Watch List – Update: CYTK: […]
February 11 Biotech Update- Some Positive Catalysts
It was a good day for the broader markets and a decent day for biotechs, although it seemed a little like a mixed bag with some stocks underperforming the rally. That being said simply following the broader market higher at this point is good for biotechs and likely means that this rally (relief or continuation) […]
Arrowhead Research (ARWR)– Great Technology, But is the Company Over-Promising on ARC-520?
Two billion people globally have been infected with hepatitis B (HBV), and approximately 350 million are chronic carriers, including approximately 750,000 persons in the US. Among the chronically infected, 15% – 40% will develop cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma. Each year approximately 5000 people in the US and 1 million worldwide die from cirrhosis, liver failure […]
February 10 Biotech Update- A Choppy Start to the Week
It was a choppy and mixed morning with the market and sector looking for direction. There were winners and losers across the sector and market caps. After a large up day, it is not necessarily bad for the market to settle down to digest the move. All of that being said, if I had to […]
February 7 Biotech Update- Recovery Edition
Despite the disappointing jobs report, the market held up fairly well and the biotech sector doing well (and seems to be getting relatively stronger as the day goes on). Large caps appeared to be a little stronger than the broader market, although perhaps that would have been more pronounce if it were not for GILD […]
CYTK – Will tirasemtiv BENEFIT ALS patients?
As Cytokinetics confirmed in its Q4 2013 conference call, it will report top-line data from the BENEFIT-ALS study in the second quarter of this year, precisely, at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Philadelphia April 26-May 3. If the company can’t have the whole data ready for that meeting, they’ll present a […]
February 6 Biotech Update- A Mixed Day
It is good day in the market but a bad day for large cap biotechs as most underperformed (large cap pharma was a little different but still not great). Small and mid caps seemed to do better but I would not say that they clearly outperformed the market (but still did better than the large […]
February 5 Biotech Update- How Now Brown Cow?
I said yesterday that I was not convinced that the coast was clear and today shows why. My hunch is that the market is hurting both bulls and bears and the best play is to stay on the sidelines unless a stock comes to you. Forcing a trade or trading out of boredom in the […]
February 4 Biotech Update- A Breather
It was certainly a much better day in the market but after the selling days like today are more breathers than anything else. It all comes down to how the market performs the next week or so and not the day after a large down day. In some ways I am encouraged that the gap […]
Catalyst Watch – Vol. 2, Edition 3 (2/3/14)
Below are current tactical and strategic thoughts on approaching FDA and clinical trial catalysts for select names. Estimates, values and views are as of the date published (or are noted), are subject to potential future, pre-catalyst revision and are not intended as investment recommendations. Please read our Disclaimer: (1) Catalyst Watch List – Update: CYTK: […]
February 3 Biotech Update- The Bloodbath Edition
It was another rough day in the market with a familiar pattern- market weak, large cap biotechs outperforming the broader market and small cap biotechs underperforming. It makes sense in that risk off means selling biotechs but large cap biotechs have a valuation buffer in their growing free cash flow. This is not to say […]
