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“This Tiny, Unknown Biotech is About to Unleash Its ‘Holy Grail’ Drug”

Biotech Supertrader teases that "This May be the Most Radical Advance in Medicine in the Last 100 Years"

By Travis Johnson, Stock Gumshoe, January 8, 2014

Robert Morris is helming a biotech-focused stock newsletter that’s called Biotech Supertrader (modesty has no place in the world of newsletter promotions, of course), and I’ve never covered this letter before so I thought I ought to have a look at the latest teaser we’ve been asked about.

Morris, incidentally, has been featured in our pages before — but that was back when he was editor of China Stock Insider at the same publisher. That letter, like almost all China-focused investment newsletters, seems to have disappeared quietly into that good night … which probably tells you that it’s time to invest in China again, since the newsletter publishers are ignoring the Middle Kingdom and rushing out their pitches about biotech and tech stocks. At the time, Morris was teasing NQ Mobile (NQ), which has turned out to be pretty good if you bought it down there in the $6-8 neighborhood (though it’s been a wild ride).

So now what’s he pitching for his Biotech Supertrader?

Well, the destruction of “Man’s deadliest disease”, of course. Here’s how the teaser gets our attention:

“This Tiny, Unknown Biotech is About to Unleash Its ‘Holy Grail’ Drug on Man’s Deadliest Disease

“Their ‘Guided Missile Approach’ Could Save Thousands of Lives Each Year

“It’s about to become the most talked about advancement in cancer treatment in our lifetimes and you can lock in a life-transforming fortune if you act quickly….

“I’m urging my subscribers to load up on this stock NOW….

“I’ve just uncovered a tiny, unknown biotechnology company with a new cancer drug in phase 3 clinical trials which is showing remarkable success at treating several types of cancer.

“Their scientists have found an innovative approach to cancer care which involves a breakthrough in treatment. It goes deep inside the inner workings of our cells.

“Plus, this medicine looks to be many times more effective and with fewer side effects than the chemo, radiation, and drug therapies currently available.”

If there’s one thing that investors know can make them rich and make them feel good about themselves and the world, it’s a cure for cancer — we’ve seen that effective cancer treatments can and do (occasionally) turn little biotech stocks into gigantic successes, so the dream lives on that you’re going to catch one of these lottery tickets and own the next Genentech. Will we be so lucky? Well, let’s see which one he’s pitching:

“When this drug wins FDA approval – which I believe it will – this small company’s $4.16 stock price will go straight to the moon.

“And the market for this drug is absolutely huge!

“You see, this small biotech is targeting its new drug, let’s call it ‘drug S’, at cancers of the blood and bone marrow. And it is already in very promising phase 3 trials for these two types of cancer.

“But here’s where it gets really interesting. It looks like the drug this company is developing will also work on other types of cancer!

“There are positive signs it works on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) too. There are 1.1 million people with this type of malignancy. Just in the United States alone there are over 300,000 patients with this disease according to The American Cancer Society. Each desperate for a cure.

“Plus it looks like ‘drug S’ may turn out to be an effective treatment for ovarian Cancer. There are more than 204,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed worldwide each year with 22,280 of these in the United States according to the National Cancer Institute estimates.”

So … who is it? Thinkolator sez this is Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals (CYCC)

Cyclacel is indeed a little biotech around $4 (it closed at $4.35 yesterday), with a market capitalization of only about $80 million — so be careful, we’re a big enough group here that if just a small percentage of Stock Gumshoe readers got enthused about this stock it could drive the shares up, less than a million dollars worth of shares trade each day (Biotech Supertrader says they limited their readership to 750 people — I don’t know if that’s still their cap or if they’ve hit it, but we’ll have more folks than that reading this free article).

And like many biotech stocks, it’s got some impressive scientists and it’s been losing money for a long time as they’ve been searching for a viable drug (their current lead drug also was a big focus of theirs back when it was in Phase 1 trials five or more years ago, so that’s a good reminder of the time these things take, it’s just starting Phase 3 trials now). It looks like they must have gone public in 2004, when they were about eight years old, and a quick scan of ten years of their financials over at Morningstar indicates that they’ve never generated more than a token amount of revenue (meaning, they’ve probably had some research collaboration payments or partnership funding, but never got a product to market), and have accumulated more than $250 million in losses to date. And had two reverse splits to keep the price from sinking far into penny territory.

So that’s not unusual, but it means that — as with all developmental-stage biotechs — it’s not about the financials or the fundamentals, it’s about what’s going to happen in their clinical trials and whether things are going well enough that they can continue to finance the trials … which get much more expensive as you progress through Phase 2 and Phase 3.

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All I know about them so far is that they say they’ve got enough cash to get through enrollment in their key Phase 3 study for “drug S” (which is sapacitabine) as of September when they last updated their investor presentation, but I know nothing about the science or the competing cancer drugs that are out there or how fabulous this particular one might be, so I asked our favorite medical writer, Doc Gumshoe (who, yes, is not a doctor) to check them out quickly and chime in. Here’s what he could share after looking into them for a few minutes (he’s just looking at the medical stuff, not so much the “investor presentations”):

    Cyclacel’s Prospects

    Cyclacel has three drugs in development at this time, and is involved in eight clinical trials with these drugs, not including two clinical trials that have been terminated. Their top contender is sapacitabine which targets the division of cancer cells. If you can prevent cancer cells from dividing and reproducing, you have the cancer whipped, so targeting cancer cell division (or mitosis, which is the technical term) is a highly promising avenue for treating cancer. However, we need to take note of the fact that sapacitabine is one of a large number of drugs that propose to fight cancer by this method.

    At present, all eight of Cyclacel’s clinical trials involve sapacitabine. Of these, at least one has been completed – a Phase 1 study of the safety and pharmacology of the drug. Four others are current, with no information about results. These are likely Phase 1 or small Phase 2 studies, to assess safety, determine what a correct dose might be, and evaluate whether the drug does what it’s supposed to do in human subjects with the target diseases, which in this case include acute myeloid leukemia (AML), cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and some advanced solid tumors. Prior to the clinical trials, sapacitabine has demonstrated impressive results in delaying the spread of metastatic liver cancers in mice.

    From what I can gather from public sources (i.e., the NIH Clinical Trials Registry), there is one Phase 3 trial, which started recruiting patients in February of 2013 and is expected to be completed in late 2015. The trial is in elderly patients with AML, and compares alternating cycles of sapacitabine and decitabine with decitabine alone. Decitabine (Dacogen) is FDA-approved for treating AML and also targets cancer cells’ replication by attacking their DNA.

    It is possible that the Phase 3 trial by itself could lead to FDA approval for sapacitabine, depending on the strength of the results. However, that trial would not get the drug approved for use as monotherapy, since it is not being investigated as monotherapy. My guess is that Cyclacel is planning more trials of sapacitabine as monotherapy, perhaps in younger patients. And my further guess is that FDA approval is still quite a long way off.

    Sapacitabine is also in a Phase 3 trial with cyclophosphamide and rituximab for the treatment of relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cyclophosphamide (marketed under several trade names) is a well-established chemotherapy agent used in a number of cancers, and has led to remission in many cases; however, it is associated with truly harrowing adverse effects. Rituximab (Rituxan, Genentech) is used not only in cancers but in some autoimmune diseases. And sapacitabine is also being studied in patients with previously-treated non-small-cell lung cancers.

    Although the piece from Biotech Supertrader said that the drug – identified as “drug S” –is also a promising treatment for ovarian cancer, I find no clue that it is being studied in such patients. [ed note: that’s because that “promise” is in the lab still, not in people — they had a press release about this in the Fall, “75% of Ovarian Cancer Patient Samples Highly Sensitive to Sapacitabine”, not studied in patients but on patient samples]

    Cyclacel has two other drugs in development: selicilib and a drug designated as CYC116. One selicilib study has been terminated, and in a second Phase 1 study, selicilib is used with sapacitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors. Remember, however, that Phase 1 studies are many rungs of the ladder below what’s needed to gain FDA approval.

    CYC116 is an aurora kinase inhibitor, meaning that it blocks the action of an intracellular enzyme that facilitates cancer cell mitosis. This is a promising avenue of cancer treatment, however, the traffic on this avenue is fairly heavy, and includes several other classes of drugs including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and taxol based agents such as paclitaxel (Taxol, Bristol Myers Squibb); docetaxel (Taxotere, Sanofi-Aventis), Abraxane (a newer formulation of paclitaxel from Celgene) and others.

    CYC116 supposedly also inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which induces the growth of blood vessels that nourish cancer cells. Inhibiting VEGF is a well-established means of combating cancer, and CYC116 could hardly be characterized as a radically new departure in cancer treatment.

    The one trial involving this agent has been terminated. That, of course, does not mean that development of CYC116 stops dead in its tracks – there are many reasons why a trial can be terminated, and ours is not to speculate without more information.

    Beyond those three drugs, it’s hard to guess what Cyclacel may have up its corporate sleeve. It is certainly true that a successful cancer drug – even if only moderately successful– can be transformational for the biotech that develops the drug. But the drugs that Cyclacel has under development do not appear to this skeptical observer to be radically new departures in cancer treatment.

    It’s important to remember, when trying to estimate the likelihood of a single drug demonstrating sufficient efficacy and safety to gain FDA approval and market share, that the competitive field is vast. As I mentioned earlier, Cyclacel has a total of 8 clinical trials in process at this time.

    For the sake of perspective, it’s worth knowing that at present there are 41,445 cancer trials being conducted. So those are the odds.

So there you have it — it’s almost impossible to find a development-stage biotech whose financials look great or that makes your heart go pit-a-pat over their valuation, especially in a biotech bull market like we’ve seen over the past year or so, and Cyclacel doesn’t jump out as spectacular on that front either, not unless you’re a big believer in the promise of their specific drug. They’re a small stock and they don’t get much attention, other than from the analysts who probably helped them sell shares in secondary offerings in recent years, and there aren’t any major “skin in the game” insiders as far as I can tell (the CEO owns $1 million worth of shares, but he gets paid more than that every year), and there’s only one really focused owner on the institutional side that seems to have any kind of biotech focus (Eastern Capital owns about 7% of the shares, roughly $5 million worth … don’t know much about them).

So I don’t see a lot to make them stand out other than Robert Morris’ apparent enthusiasm for the shares (which certainly goes over the top, he calls his special report “The End of Cancer Worries Forever“), and I don’t know enough about the science to be a believer (though, to be fair, I almost never speculate on developmental biotechs because they’re so hit-driven and I’m not smart enough to be a hit-picker in the sector). It is at least encouraging that they are enrolling patients for Phase 3, and that they probably won’t have to raise more money before they have some indication of how the trial is going, but sometime in the next year or two they’re probably going to have to either get good results from this trial that let them raise cash at a good price, or have promising enough results that some big pharma company wants to jump in and help fund development of “drug S” (or just buy up the whole company, as happens with some regularity when a little biotech gets promising results).

Oh, and they are presenting at an investor conference next week, so maybe they’ll have something interesting to share then. As you can tell, this one doesn’t jump into my cup of tea … but these kinds of stocks almost never do. Sound interesting to you? Interested in the science or the lottery-ticket possibilities of $80-million developmental biotechs? Have any experience with Robert Morris or know whether or not we should consider him a biotech savant? Let us know with a comment below.

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johnnie410039
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johnnie410039
January 19, 2014 8:25 pm

Great info, many thanks.

siva
Member
siva
January 19, 2014 11:51 pm

Dr KarmaswimSami – I have one question on Benitec-Pfizer.
If the HCV trial(TT-034) that Benitec-Pfizer embarked was/is very promising, why did Pfizer drop it. I read and saw a video of French stating that Pfizer reorganized org-structures in UK and along with that it decided to shutter down tt-034 initiative. It is hard to imagine Pfizer would do that but I’m not familiar how the big pharma operates, so any wisdom/perspective on that would be helpful

George
Member
George
January 20, 2014 12:48 am
Reply to  siva

Pfizer exiting the collaboration often does not depend on how well the drug worked. They have dropped a huge number of good drugs due to development cost and earnings potential. Pfizer has dropped virology and sold off HIV assets to Viiv due to their market estimates that neither is worth their efforts. Pfizer has also shut down most of their UK (Sandwich) operations.. including virology. If it was in clinical, it would have been out of Groton anyway.

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JJ
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JJ
January 20, 2014 2:39 am
Reply to  siva

It’s a classic mistake of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Over 100 scientists were working on TT-033/34 and they spent more than the market cap of Benitec just getting it ready for the clinic. They even made the biologic that Benitec will be using in the trial due to commence asap. Pfizer will be back. Funnily enough, they could probably get it back for less money than their original collaboration with Tacere, $145m + royalties for the non-asian rights. They could essentially buy the whole business for that only this time with the Asian rights included and all the other programs and IP. However, they would have to attempt it via a hostile takeover. No way will Benitec’s management accept a half-arsed takeover offer, they know how many blockbusters this platform could create. They have $220m in R&D tax writeoffs alone and if they deal on TT-034 before the end of PI/II, they have to pay Tacere’s founders 35% royalties. It has to be mentioned also that the FDA has never approved a gene therapy drug. This would also have been a factor in Pfizer’s decision. It surely is only a matter of time now with the amazing gene therapy results seen of late.

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karmaswimswami
January 20, 2014 12:11 pm
Reply to  JJ

Siva: I agree with George and JJ here. My sense is that Pfizer may be kicking itself over that decision. Pfizer didn’t do that because of some ominous, not-yet-disclosed pool of data that ddRNAi or their adenoviral approach doesn’t work….I am sure of that. There is no such data. It was a bloodless-utilitarian decision based on other pecuniary exigencies. Personally, I think Pfizer regrets it so much now that a Jerry Lewis-Dean Martin pairing up again wouldn’t surprise. It may sound like hyperbole (in fact it may be hyperbole), but to me, as a physician, scientist and investor, Benitec’s TT-034 trial for HCV is the single most interesting event in the history of medicine in my career. It is not only a possible one-dose cure for HCV, but it is the definitive road test of ddRNAi in humans. As we have talked about, the advantages of ddRNAi are stability and durability of effect. Other approaches are mostly based on naked RNAi administration in frequent and big doses, with downsides of stimulating Toll-like receptors. If ddRNAi works, all other forms of RNAi therapy will be gaslight, frankly. It will change totally how medicine is practiced.

indimod
January 20, 2014 10:41 am

After reading this thread, I’m interested in buying some Rexahn (RNN). It’s price right now is about $1.10, their new stock offering is for $1.05 and one gets an extra 1/4 of a warrant. I’m wondering if an individual small investor (such as myself) can buy some of those new issues at $1.05? I’m still fairly new to investing, I figured out the basics but not the more advanced bits and pieces. Anyone got any experience with buying such special direct offerings? (I’m in the US, I got several accounts, regular and IRA with a few discount brokers – Scottrade, Tradeking, Optionshouse).

Btw, I discovered the Gumshoe webpage only a few weeks ago. Based on (among other things) the quality and overall civility of Travis’ postings and this thread, I decided to join the Irregulars. I have a feeling I won’t regret that investment.

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Bob Paglee
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Bob Paglee
January 20, 2014 11:56 am

Dr. Karmi, thanks for your interesting reply to my earlier comment that included a list of stocks in my corral of biotech ponies (i.e., ATHX, BNIKF, CGIX CHTP, CTIX , DRIO , GALE, GNVC,
ICCC, IDRA, INO, ITMN, MNKD, NBS,, NEO, NPSP, NPS, NVAX, RNN, SGMO, SRPT, AND TMKR) . Your reply inclined me to enter a sell order for ITMN, but the U.S. market is closed for today’s holiday.

However the French market is open, and after reading the comments posted by William Koesters to you, I bought some Genfit shares (ALGFT:FR) and have added that to my corral in place of ITMN. (By the time my order was placed in France, Genfit had popped up 10%.) In any event, I wish to second William’s compliment regarding your brilliant analyses and thank you for your generous, fascinating help to all of us that are following this thread!

karmaswimswami
January 20, 2014 12:31 pm
Reply to  Bob Paglee

Thanks Robert. Glad to help. I am glad William K. mentioned Genfit. For a brief time it had ADR shares traded in the US—-don’t know what happened there. It’s a smart company. Its dual-acting PPAR agent is very likely to be approved. But be aware that several other “glitazones” are in clinical development, Daiichi Sankyo’s rivoglitazone being among the farthest along. Genfit is developing a number of interesting nuclear receptor (ant)agonists, but I haven’t yet found a good cache of information (papers, abstracts, presentations) about them. If anyone knows where I could find such information, I am interested. The company’s website didn’t have nearly what I was hoping to find. Why, I wonder, does Sanofi not just acquire Genfit?

biocqr
biocqr
January 20, 2014 6:33 pm
Reply to  karmaswimswami

Genfit’s patents and publications are listed here…
http://genfit.com/en/science-discovery/publications-br-patents/
some other publications that may be of interest…

Regulation of Bile Acid and Cholesterol Metabolism by PPARs
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ppar/2009/501739/

Protection from liver fibrosis by a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ agonist
http://www.pnas.org/content/109/21/E1369.full

Nuclear Receptors and Liver Disease – Current Understanding and New Therapeutic Implications
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/710232_1

Roles of PPARs in NAFLD: Potential therapeutic targets (one of the authors is Bart Staels who is co-founder of Genfit and president of the SAB)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388198111002204

PPAR- and LXR-dependent pathways controlling lipid metabolism and the development of atherosclerosis
http://www.jlr.org/content/45/12/2161.long

A role for PPARα in the control of SREBP activity and lipid synthesis in the liver
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1175119/

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Vermelle benoit
Guest
walter
walter
January 20, 2014 12:21 pm

My complete complements to everyone on this HUGE accumulation of data on bio companies. I hope it continues for us all to profit from the collective input. In that vein, I am wondering what comments you all may have on the prospects Of NWBO and their strategy for cancer tumor cure?

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karmaswimswami
January 20, 2014 1:41 pm

Readers here who might be more comfortable with a blue-chip rather than a speculative pick might really want to take a look at AbbVie (ABBV). There has been a recent flurry of speculation that its agent Norvir (ritonavir) is going to be studied for repurposing as an anti-cancer drug. Its an HIV proteinase inhibitor, but clearly has antineoplastic effects that are separate. Also, its agent ABT 199 (a co-project with Roche) is going to shake the sheets in CLL. It has an HCV portfolio just as promising as Gilead’s, but I am not sure the share price reflects that yet, as the relevant clinical trials are still being done in HCV (but the data look mighty good). Believe me, the physician animus against Gilead is SO high right now, doctors may write for AbbVie’s HCV drugs just to spite Gilead, and AbbVie’s will probably be cheaper. Despite the large run-up in price in 2012-2013, these shares are a long way from being overbought, and I anticipate more buying of shares by institutions soon.

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Rob
Rob
January 20, 2014 1:49 pm

Genfit. ALGFT. Monday 1/20/2014 up to $15.40 2PM EST off $13.50 at the open.

karmaswimswami
January 20, 2014 1:56 pm

Someone above mentioned SciClone (SCLN). This is definitely NOT a stock you want to be in. Its main source of revenue seems to be thymosan alfa, an immune potentiator. Honestly, I do not care what the company claims or what studies seem to show, this agent does nothing, I have been an investigator in trials for this agent. It is pure stone soup. With newer/better approaches for HBV and HCV, sales are going to evaporate quickly to nil. It’s got nothing in development that appeals to me. I don’t do short selling, but if I did, I would do so for this company. In fact, there is already a 32% short interest. I am not knocking anyone’s stock picking abilities at all, but really, you don’t want to have money tied up in this sinking ship.

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yelpik
yelpik
January 20, 2014 2:16 pm

Dr. KarmiSS, I just reading comments today because I was out last week with the Flu which I did get a shot for this year, because I my first Grandson was born 3 months ago and my son said I must get a flu shot to protect the baby. So got one this year and of course got the flu. Didn’t get a shot the last 5 years and never got the Flu. First thanks so much for all your generous comments. I have invested a large portion of my IRA in CTIX, Cellceutix Corporation an odd little company being run very differently than others. They are working with P53 Guardian Angel gene and doing Phase 2 at Harvard deaconess and MD Anderson has asked to do research at no charge to the company. Found them while researching anything to help my best friend who lost his battle to pancreatic cancer this year after a brutal 6 year battle. Don’t want to go on but would love to hear your opinion and anyone else I see it listed by Bob and some others. http://cellceutix.com/ . Thanks.

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Terje
Terje
January 20, 2014 2:27 pm

Karmaswimswami, thank you for your kind words and your Prostate cancer / Dendreon discussion earlier.

I don’t want to sideline this really interesting thread with too much of my specific situation though. People typically come here for some good investment advise. However, since PC is a special interest of yours I do have one question.

I heard through relatives in Norway that a BRCA2 gene mutation runs in the family. This does pose the possible explanation in my mind why suddenly, without any symptoms, I find myself with aggressive prostate cancer at a ‘young’ age.
From what I understand there is research and excitement about the sensitivity of BRCA1/2 mutant tumor cells to PARP inhibitors. KSS are you familiar with this? Anything here which I need to study further?

Strangely, the highest incident of prostate cancer is found in Norway!! Maybe this gives credence to the the theory that fish oil might be causative with regards to PC? Norwegians are spoon fed cod liver oil from toddlerhood!
Maybe more likely a fertile viking with a BRCA gene mutation polluted the gene pool? 🙂

Tanglewood, MDV3100 (Enzalutamide) has been approved by the FDA and goes under the name Xtandi.

Thanks to the great stuff on this thread I have taken a position in both Benitec and Rexahn!

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jamespaul108
jamespaul108
January 20, 2014 11:16 pm
Reply to  Terje

I’m neither a doctor nor a biologist. However, I feel compelled to jump in here with the following. The January 2014 issue of Dr. Robert Rowen’s Second Opinion newsletter cites two studies, both of which suggest that “…marine [fish] oils will … increase your risk of rapidly growing cancers, rapidly damage and age your mitochondria and body, and dramatically lower your energy production.” Articles he cites are Cancer Res, 1998, 58; Brit. J of Nutrition, 2009, 102; Proc Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 87 1990 (I’m not sure these are the same studies but these are the ones cited at the end of the article). Another quote from the article: “At three weeks, the fish oil group had 10-fold more tumors than animals on a low-fat diet.” Dr. Rowen’s newsletter site is http://www.secondopinionnewsletter.com/. His newsletter is inexpensive. I have found useful information in it.

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Alan Harris
Guest
Alan Harris
January 20, 2014 2:51 pm

Swammi
This is getting unmanageable. So many questions/answers/tickers. As said its morphing. Surely theres someone on this thread who can create a watch list of tickers with comments/answers attatched……I wish it was me but dont have those skills. Any volunteers?

karmaswimswami
January 20, 2014 3:35 pm

Terje: There is most definitely a strong linkage of BRCA1 (and to a lesser degree, 2) mutations with prostate cancer. That fact is underemphasized I feel. All people have BRCA genes. They are critical for repair of DNA damage. Mutations in them cause breast, prostate and ovary cancers, because DNA damage accumulates. A substantial docket of mutations is known, and 4 of them predominate in people of Norwegian ancestry. In your case, screening may be very appropriate for the sake of knowing whether any children you have might have such mutations. If you have a defined mutation, either male or female children need screening also, and then to take appropriate steps if positive. For male children, this would certainly involve formal screening earlier in life for prostate cancer. In females, it could warrant prophylactic surgery depending upon the genes. As of yet, it is not known how having a BRCA mutation should influence therapy for prostate cancer. I don’t think it is unreasonable to speculate that once gene therapy comes “online,” such therapy to transduce cells with normal BRCA1 and BRCA2 encoded enzymes would be useful.

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Bob Paglee
Guest
Bob Paglee
January 20, 2014 4:41 pm

Karmi, there is some new hype on the internet about a new technology that will solve every medical problem. I am pasting below a copy of what appears to be a scheme to lure unsophisticated investors — I hope you can help to debunk it:

“Scientists have developed a device that could put an end to cancer.
And if that was all it did, it would still be one of history’s most important innovations.

But its lifesaving potential is even greater.

USC Cancer Specialist, Dr. David Agus, is one of the most renowned doctors in his field.

After witnessing this technology he says, “The end of illness is closer than you might think.”

I’ve placed a picture of this 14mm device in this email (you can also see it in action here).

Besides cancer it could also put an end to heart disease, asthma, COPD, diabetes… practically every major illness.

Dr. Terri Fried, a Yale University specialist in Geriatric medicine, believes that this is bringing about “The end of the disease era”

Here is a link to the details:
http://pro.moneymappress.com/NVXSENSORS49/LNVXQ192/

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karmaswimswami
January 20, 2014 4:53 pm
Reply to  Bob Paglee

It’s overblown Robert. In fact, this has been being touted in various guises for a long time. It won’t “end” disease, but it is an early warning system. Such chips can, for example, detect a surge in C-reactive protein that may augur an MI. In theory, you could rig such a device to detect troponin-I, to detect cancer markers. It may get one to the doctor sooner for a condition, but I predict it will also be fraught with pseudo-positive findings. Naturally doctors may appear to back it because it will keep patients coming in for visits. But it is decades away from being shown to be cost-effective, relevant, or life-saving. You won’t see me ponying up for it.

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Bob Paglee
Guest
Bob Paglee
January 20, 2014 5:07 pm
Reply to  karmaswimswami

It seems to me to be a sure way to overload our already stretched-out health care system.

By the way, the current issue of a London-based magazine, The Economist, has two interesting stories about how socialized medicine is in considerable trouble both in Britain and in France. Their voters deserve to get what they voted for there, and maybe here, too.

Alan Harris
Guest
Alan Harris
January 20, 2014 5:43 pm
Reply to  Bob Paglee

Im not so sure. In uk we started a thing called NHS Direct (National Health Service….brilliant and no separate insurance costs). Its basically a call centre manned by medics. It screens out those that need an asprin. I can see how linking that with this micro chip could work and save the NHS/Country millions. I rang just once with what I thought was a stitch (from running too hard….maybe you call it something else in US?) But I hadnt been running (exercise?….Pah!). Turned out I had a kidney stone. One call and there was a (free) ambulance at my door in 20mins. Prob solved with a machine that sounded like a snare drum and felt like a jab in the ribs with a short sharp stick….nasty….Still, 20 yrs ago and no recurring prob.

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Warner
Warner
January 20, 2014 4:44 pm

Hi KarmaSS, as an investor I have thoroughly enjoyed these (your) comments. I am a white haired 77 YO who has had Brachytherapy (PC), Essential Thrombocythemia and many friends with the other maladies discuss here. To say this is the best forum discussion I have read would be an understatement. Thank you All!

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Warner
Warner
January 20, 2014 4:45 pm

Forgot to check email box

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karmaswimswami
January 20, 2014 4:56 pm

Alan, I have started a real-time spread sheet for every stock mentioned here. I don’t think it can be imported to the site however. Great idea though.

Rumor has it that’s YOUR mad laugh in the background on “Brain Damage” from “Dark Side of the Moon.” Care to comment?

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Alan Harris
Guest
Alan Harris
January 20, 2014 5:29 pm
Reply to  karmaswimswami

Oh, Im not so sure. Travis had/does intent a spreadsheet for Myron coz theres soooo much info there too. I know your not a feature writer (yet) but T is cleary following this thread with avid interest….I think your offer is in the mail !). If the software exists for Myron, it exists for Swammi. …..come out come out where ever you are Travis !
As for Dark side…..Ha Ha! However on the album after (I think), you will hear a dog whining….its a spaniel with headphones on while the and member owner whispers sweet nothings in it ear. Its amazing how you can stitch such dross into history making music.

Don Barrett
Irregular
Don Barrett
January 20, 2014 5:35 pm

Please forgive the amateur question here, but I am not used to buying OTC equities. What’s a good rule of thumb for a limit order price. For example, for the $.64 price of BNIKF, my limit order is for $.68. Am I giving away the farm or is that reasonable? I really want to get filled on this one.
Thanks.

Don

Alan Harris
Guest
Alan Harris
January 20, 2014 5:50 pm
Reply to  Don Barrett

I completely understand Don. Penny stocks tend to move wildly. So you have a choice….place a stink bid and hope the swing brings you into the basement or buy at .68 and feel gutted when it drops to .62 (dont worry it wont sit there long….it could soon hit .30!!) or miss the boat when it heads north and kick yourself. But always remember, penny stock is for ‘fun’ money, not the retirement account.
No crystal balls on this site.

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Don Barrett
Irregular
Don Barrett
January 20, 2014 5:58 pm
Reply to  Alan Harris

I think going for .68 is worth the risk on this one; and of course, as you say, hindsight will be 20/20 LOL Thanks for the wisdom.

Alan Harris
Guest
Alan Harris
January 20, 2014 6:05 pm
Reply to  Don Barrett

Bet you wish you bought Apple at .68 🙂 Ill bet there were people who thought it was a bit expensive back then.

Don Barrett
Irregular
Don Barrett
January 20, 2014 6:11 pm
Reply to  Alan Harris

You bet, and I am considering BNIKF an well-advised speculation. Sometimes I act like a gambler instead of a trader; lost a bunch selling puts (stupid and greedy), but you can’t help get a bit excited about the prospects.

Alan Harris
Guest
Alan Harris
January 20, 2014 6:26 pm
Reply to  Alan Harris

And the favourite in the 2.30 at Kentucky.

Alan Harris
Guest
Alan Harris
January 20, 2014 6:44 pm
Reply to  Alan Harris

I mean this well (to everyone) . As a newbie (like me) You should read this thread again, and again and then one more time. Forget the tickers and unpronouncable words. But recognise that there is ONLY one way to win at this game……. know the game. Everything else is gambling. Gamblers lose >6/10 times. The well informed win >6/10 times. Pick a sector that is interesting to you…..read…..read…read… and enjoy it. Then when you can see a winner as clear as a queue of people outside Walmart…. only then invest. Till then, buy a fund managed by some guys who CAN spot the queue, and be happy with a 5% return…..if your lucky.

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Steve
Steve
January 20, 2014 6:32 pm

BNIKF only trades about 8,000 shares per day, i.e., about $5,000 total. And it is on the Pink Sheets, which is subject to notorious market-maker price manipulations. NEVER put in a market order in this situation! You will be ripped off big time. If buying, use tight limit orders. Does anyone have any thoughts about how many shares/portolio percentage would be a reasonable risk on this speculative stock?

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karmaswimswami
January 20, 2014 6:55 pm

Alan and Steve and others: Gambling is rolling the dice, leaving your fate to whims. But the law recognizes that backing your own skill with money, such as in billiards, is not gambling. I do not consider buying shares of BNIKF to be a gamble. Speculative, sure. But there sure are a whole lot of educated guessers who have reviewed the science and the papers and understand it and predict it will work. To me, if ddRNAi fails on the first try, it just gets rejiggered for another try and Benitec stays a 65 cent stock of a company that licenses out tech and has a good stream of income from that. If it succeeds, the stock makes a moon shot. I do not feel I can afford NOT to speculate on it. All people should do what they are comfortable with. I could be eating crow in a month. But BNIKF is not a gamble. It is an educated bet based on a spate of hard data from one of this generation’s best scientists and an astounding, dumbfounding patent portfolio. I have spoken at length with management and am just delighted by their humility, sincerity, and equanimity. Management is just so often full of it, I find.

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Alan Harris
Guest
Alan Harris
January 20, 2014 7:09 pm
Reply to  karmaswimswami

Swammi
I certainly WASNT talking about BNIKF which I now own. I was talking about the need to ‘understand’ your chosen sector. Benitec may shoot to the stars and we will all have brown tongues when we utter the word Swammi (no offence intended). But being uninformed and simply following ANY tipster (not saying thats what YOU are) is a recipe for bancruptcy. The odds of winning the lottery are better in the long term…..and it only costs a $ a go.

biocqr
biocqr
January 21, 2014 12:02 pm
Reply to  karmaswimswami

Dr. Karma, you stated “To me, if ddRNAi fails on the first try, it just gets rejiggered for another try and Benitec stays a 65 cent stock of a company that licenses out tech and has a good stream of income from that.”

Licensing revs in 2013 were only $521K.. if ddRNAi fails and trades @ .65 how would that justify a mc of $337M?

source: page 29 http://www.benitec.com/documents/BLTAnnualreport2013.pdf

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Glenn
Guest
Glenn
January 21, 2014 2:24 pm
Reply to  karmaswimswami

Karmaswimswami I as well appreciate all your great posts and knowledge.I have been in GALE
since the 3’s and ACRX since the 7’s.Was wondering your opinion on these 2 companies.Definitley wanting to take a position in BNIKF now also.I would like to see you start a blog and post updates on BNIKF or maybe post on Yahoo Finance message board about updates on their message board.Thanks in advance.Glenn

siva
Member
siva
January 20, 2014 8:00 pm

ALL: I’m overwhelmed (in a positive way) with the amount of information here. I’m also feeling that these are great information that we need a proper forum to track information, KarmaSS’s invaluable insights by tickers. We also need the ability to poll, add attachments, add sticky notes etc. I have spent some time and found http://www.proboards.com to be an excellent platform. I will volunteer to manage the forum. We can create a private and controlled forum and group information by categories, boards and threads. You can receive notifications to your inbox. proboards has apps for ios and andriod so you can manage messages from your gadgets. I have gone ahead and created a private board for us here:
http://biotechbuzz.proboards.com

If I see a positive nod from you all, I can scrap the content here and add it to the proboards. I’m also open to any other forums where we can manage and communicate information efficiently.

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