Toby Smith: “Product X Kills Bugs Dead”

This one is a teaser that we’ve actually looked at before, but I’m getting a lot of email on it so perhaps it got lost in the shuffle — it was solved as part of a multi-part teaser a while back, and it remains one of Tobin Smith’s favorites — and the subject of his “ChangeWave Rant” today.

So what is it? I’ll copy some of the info here from the prior solution, but (thanks to the comments from readers) fix a couple misspellings:

The last time we saw this, and it was just a week or two ago, it was under the headline, “Killer germs = killer profits (Was $11.40. Now on sale for $3.40)”

This was one of the “99% Sure Things to Double Your Money” that Smith was ranting about earlier, all as part of his contention that if you buy these kinds of microcap stocks now, when so many of them have gotten 50% haircuts over the past year, then you’ll probably double your money this year when things return to “normal.” That’s a pretty optimistic view of “returning to the mean,” assuming that beaten up microcaps will be in favor, and that specifically these particular ones will be in favor, in a relatively short period of time.

But that, and the specific business models of the companies, is what Toby is selling for ChangeWave MicroCap.

This is a company that has a “super oxidized water” treatment to kill infections, with the latest tease backup being its ability to kill the dreaded MRSA (methicillin resistant staph aureus) that’s currently running through pretty much every school system in the country from what I can tell, and that has clearly been a major problem in hospitals for many years (it has run through my family, and it’s no picnic).

This company is Oculus Innovative Sciences (OCLS) — it actually trades on the regular ‘ol Nasdaq, and it’s even covered by a couple niche analysts (one buy and one market perform as of last year).

Their product is called Microcyn, and it is indeed a super oxidized formulation as teased, and the prices over the last year match up (again, they hit that $11+ a while ago, back in July).

I don’t know anything about the product, though it looks to me like they’re still pretty early on getting it approved and used — they have a phase II trial for some kind of diabetic foot infection treatment using the product, and no doubt they’re exploring other avenues as well, but from what I can tell you’re not going to run into Microcyn at your local hospital anytime real soon.

One reader wrote in to say that this is essentially the same thing as hydrogen peroxide, and another that oxidized water to treat infections doesn’t require FDA approval, so you might want to look into all this stuff — I’m not a doctor and can’t make any fine distinctions between products like this without putting in more time on this company. I do know that they’re in a FDA trial for a specific infection treatment (diabetic foot infection), but I don’t know what that means for other uses of their formula.

I know that MRSA is a huge problem, but I also know that lots of other things kill this bug — several kinds of super antibiotics kill it in people, good ‘ol bleach kills it on surfaces, etc., so it might take some time and research to understand exactly what the competitive advantage of this company’s product is. They just released their quarterly earnings and clinical update this morning, and the shares have already run up signfiicantly since the last time Smith teased it in an email — they’re up 25% or so from when I first wrote about them on January 28 following an email ad.

The risk to this teaser recommendation seems to me to be similar to situations we’ve encountered many times before — the case is ably made that there is a problem to be solved (MRSA infection), and that this company has a solution to the problem (their Microcyn product), and that there will be money to be made in solving this problem. What doesn’t get mentioned, in this ad or almost any other, is whether there are also other solutions to the problem (other products, other procedures, developments from other companies) that might marginalize this product.

They’ve got close to a dollar a share in cash, though they’re certainly not profitable. I haven’t dug further on this one, but if you’ve taken a moment to run through the OCLS filings, or have any experience with the company or their competitors, I’m sure we’d all be delighted to hear from you.

The author will always disclose any direct long or short equity, debt or option position in any stocks written about as of the day of publication, and will not trade in any stocks mentioned for three days (72 hours) after publication. Full disclaimer is at the bottom of the page.

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1. Diabetics are susceptible to multiple organisms, MRSA being just one. Bleach is very useful in baths (1/2 cup in a tub of water 10 inches deep) for widespread skin infections – we even use it in kids (1/4 cup) with infected eczema and psoriasis. And it is cheap, which is one thing this product will NOT be after it gets through all the phase II and III trials and the marketing / manufacturing / advertising costs are added on. Better to use terbinafine cream between the toes to limit fungus and yeast, occasional bleach soaks to kill surface bacteria, and simple petroleum jelly after bathing to prevent drying out and cracking. I will not be investing in this one.

   [Reply]

   Posted by Wikiderm | February 9, 2008, 9:56 am

2. I was a clinlcal lab tech for 8 years. The traditional lab test to identify organisms is to culture them on blood,chocolate and other solutions to grow the organism. It is then identified and subjected to a variety of antibiotic tabs to observe the reaction.(sensitivity testing). The doctor is then given the results so that he can prescribe an appropriate medication. Most pathogens mutate over time to overcome the antibiotics. Staph aureus is a common pathogen found on our skin,door knobs,tabletops, and handshakes. The new subspecies mutated and resisted common antibiotics to treat it. This places the biolabs in a position of chasing the mutations, and the antibiotics probably accelerate the mutation process.(survival of the fittest.)
   From an investment standpoint, Risk is very high. The FDA is not always kind in their approval,and the industry is littered with excting finds that were heavily touted only to be shot down in flames and headed for chapter 7 BK.
   IN my opinion,investing at the phase II stage is shear speculation and probably bad timing,but, I have been wrong before.

   [Reply]

   Posted by G IMBURG | February 9, 2008, 11:14 am

3. I agree with wikiderm. Show me the earnings, growth rate and good PEG in this stock market environment. With such volatilty am looking something with less risk.

   [Reply]

   Posted by Brian B. | February 9, 2008, 11:31 am

4. It might behoove one to notice the product’s name is apparently a mutation of the word “croc”….:-)

   [Reply]

   Posted by Wayne | February 9, 2008, 11:51 am

5. A more promising company in this sector, which I mentioned in one of the Gumshoe Forum threads some time ago, is Pure Bioscience (PURE.) (Note: I own some of this.) Their silver dihydrogen citrate solution is already on the market for disinfecting hard surfaces, and is in testing for approval for several different topical uses. It’s non-toxic to higher forms of life, environmentally benign, “green,” and highly effective. The company is not yet profitable and the stock is volatile, but they’re a lot closer to major profits in this sector, IMO, than OCLS.

   [Reply]

   Posted by Independentguy | February 9, 2008, 1:43 pm

6. Hi,

   I would be interested to know what the Paddle strategy is.

   Thanks,

   Joy

   [Reply]

   Posted by Joy Stubbs | February 10, 2008, 11:14 am

7. The comments you have had on hydrogen peroxide and silver are very relevant. MRSA itelf is not difficult to kill the problem is when a person has an MRSA infection say of an internal organ. How is this super oxidised liquid going to get to the infection. Chlorine, silver and hyd. peroxide work wonders on exposed surfces e.g. skin, door handles etc. The product is stated to have EU medical device approval. With so many EU countries already an available market why no profit or projections if it is so unique. FDA approval will depend on the claims made and it may be being able to claim that it is FDA approved will be the marketing angle to get sales.

   [Reply]

   Posted by Jacob B | February 10, 2008, 11:31 am

8. Regarding Oculus Innovative Sciences, OCLS, my search of the US Patent Office’s free database at http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index allowed me to find, in two easy steps (1. Search by assignee (Oculus) in the issued patent file, get name of inventor on nearest technology (Sumita, Osao) and 2. Search on inventor’s name on Published Patent Applications) a direct hit on Sumita’s US Pat. Appl. 20060169575. His chemistry seems to be an electrolytic cell method of making hydrogen peroxide and, if chloride is in the electrolyte, sodium hypochlorite. There is some vague language about cationic charges which I, as a chemist, don’t quite understand. Their product is likely to work but I don’t see how it is different from known disinfectants.

   [Reply]

   Posted by Ed Weil | February 10, 2008, 1:24 pm

9. for those people who like to invest in that compagny check Efood safety they have the same kind of product also a product for chicken flu and other natural food the best thing the stock is only in the 0.20cts a shares and i think a good one to invest. jean

   [Reply]

   Posted by j.mihailescu | February 11, 2008, 11:09 am

10. Take a look at the Bio-Pure product(PURE.OB)
    The only product I know of with a (24)hr. residual and EPA approved in (48)states.
    This product is all ready on the retail market.
    Stock should have a NASDAQ listing shortly.
    I have have owned the stock for about a year and
    expect continued good news on this product.

    [Reply]

    Posted by Steve Mitchel | February 11, 2008, 3:46 pm

11. Alda pharmaceuticals is a canadian co. in the process of securing patents & testing its product. very early stage but promising. on canadian venture
    APH-TSX.V

    [Reply]

    Posted by atom | April 9, 2008, 6:43 pm

12. There is a pretty grim analysis of Occulus here that I would read before investing a dime in this company. Their product is basically diluted bleach.

    http://seekingalpha.com/article/44263-oculus-innovative-sciences-ipo-analysis-six-month-review

    [Reply]

    Posted by Pete Ewing | June 7, 2008, 6:44 pm

13. Silver is a heavy metal and large markets in need of “something else*” will not be interested – hospital, transportation and tourism. They have already plenty of waste issues with other technologies. Actually, both technologies (Oculus and Pure’s) are similar, only the active is different.
    Oculus is in a slightly different space (WT) but I do not believe their most attractive patents are enforceable. Pure has been fighting aggressively to defend theirs. In short, the machine makes the end product. Applications are hard enforce in this field, however, the machines …
    If they become the target of larger groups with much bigger access to market, these will look at their technology and will probably take a pass.

    * non corrosive, low human or animal toxicity, biodegradability of less than 15 days, low VOCs …

    [Reply]

    Posted by Mr. T | August 17, 2008, 5:00 pm