The Life Sciences Report

Watchlist Analysts Forecast Continued Blue Sky for Biotech Industry
Source: Tracy Salcedo-Chourré of The Life Sciences Report  (1/29/15)
For the last two years the biotech sector has experienced market-beating gains, even taking into account the industry-wide hiccup in early 2014. Can this trend continue? The five analysts who selected names for The Life Sciences Report's 2015 Small-Cap Biotech Watchlist spend their days considering this question; it comes into play with every recommendation they make. The topic came up in various contexts during the Watchlist panel at the 2015 Biotech Showcase: Here are four factors investors should consider as they move into 2015. More >

Convert Catalysts into Profits: Sagient Research's Edward Stopke
Source: Peter Byrne of The Life Sciences Report  (1/22/15)
The biotech sector is teeming with companies racing to bring the hot new drug or therapy to the marketplace. But realistically assessing the therapeutic potential of pipeline products is the healthy approach for selecting a winner. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Edward Stopke of Sagient Research unveils his list of companies with catalytic moments in the making. More >

The Outpatient Surgery Business Rains Cash: Nobilis Health's Harry Fleming
Source: Peter Byrne of The Life Sciences Report  (1/22/15)
Nobilis Health Corp. has invented a genuine recipe for success: Provide outpatient surgical services with high profit margins and saturate a local consumer health market with advertising. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Nobilis' president Harry Fleming explains exactly how his booming firm's business model works—and why investors should take note of the new kid on the block. More >

Oppenheimer Analyst Rohit Vanjani's 2015 Pipeline: Pot, Pain, and Babies
Source: Peter Byrne of The Life Sciences Report  (1/15/15)
Building on another blockbuster year in specialty pharmacy and generics, Rohit Vanjani, a senior analyst at Oppenheimer & Co., has reason to be excited for 2015. Vanjani specializes in nurturing firms developing novel ways to treat some of humanity's most persistent medical problems, and in this interview with The Life Sciences Report, he describes some of the most promising therapies, and companies, in the life sciences sector. More >

Where Do Cures Reside? Morrie Ruffin and Michael Werner of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Think the Answer Is in Regenerative Medicine
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (1/8/15)
The practice of medicine is being transformed. The journey has been arduous, but revolutionary stem cell, gene and immunocellular therapies are rapidly moving toward pivotal milestones—and investors in the space should strap in for a rewarding joy ride. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine cofounders Morrie Ruffin and Michael Werner consider how new federal guidance might enable new standards of care in cardiovascular, neurologic and oncologic medicine, and offer a preview of next week's Biotech Showcase in San Francisco. More >

Medical Marijuana Goes to Market: Daniel Pearlstein of M Partners
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (1/7/15)
Life sciences analyst Daniel Pearlstein of Toronto-based M Partners brings knowledge of the biotech sector and hands-on experience in the startup realm to understanding value and growth in small- and micro-cap life sciences companies. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Pearlstein offers his perspectives on six Canadian biotech and specialty pharma names with different value propositions and the capacity to grow multiples of invested capital, including one company in the budding medical marijuana field.
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Will Biotech Fire on All Cylinders in 2015?
Source: Tracy Salcedo-Chourré of The Life Sciences Report  (12/30/14)
Making predictions for the New Year may feel as productive as peering into a crystal ball. But in the life sciences, hard science and long experience back prognostication. The biotech market enjoyed a stellar 2013 and withstood a solid check in early 2014 before rebounding, essentially following the upward trend that most experts forecast. What is in store for 2015? The Life Sciences Report turned to newsletter writer John McCamant and WBB Securities' Steve Brozak for insight. More >

Cell Therapy 2015: With Maturity Comes Promise
Source: Tracy Salcedo-Chourré of The Life Sciences Report  (12/23/14)
A number of new and innovative medical paradigms are being explored by companies in the life sciences sector, with one of the front-runners being cell therapy—a disruptive technology that has, in the past few years, progressed out of preclinical studies and into clinical development. To learn more about the transformative promise of regenerative medicine, and what investors might expect from companies working in the sector in 2015, The Life Sciences Report asked analysts Jason Kolbert of Maxim Group and Dr. Christopher James of Brinson Patrick to discuss the advances that could generate robust returns on investment in coming years. More >

2015 Small-Cap Biotech Watchlist Announced
Source: Staff of The Life Sciences Report  (12/18/14)
In its third year, The Life Sciences Report's 2015 Small-Cap Biotech Watchlist currently includes 12 drug development companies selected by leading analysts in the sector. With catalysts on the horizon and pipelines that encompass a variety of indications and innovative platforms, these biotechs are primed to return multiples on investment. More >

Doug Loe: Canada Has Earned Its Spot in the Biotech All-Star Team Photo
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (12/18/14)
Biotech investors in the United States who overlook investment opportunities across the borders are missing out on huge opportunities, says Douglas Loe, healthcare equity analyst with Euro Pacific Canada. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Loe gives the Canadian life sciences industry an upbeat prognosis, and offers ideas on companies that could realize generous returns in the sector in 2015. More >

Wedbush Securities' David Nierengarten on Genetic Cures for Disease: Impossible Dream Come True?
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (12/11/14)
Clinicians like to speak in terms of "managing" disease. That term of art is an admission that, in most cases, they can't cure the serious problems confronting patients. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, David Nierengarten of Wedbush Securities explores gene therapies that actually correct an inborn mutation in human DNA, creating permanent change, actual cures and better lives for patients. It sounds beyond the reach of medicine. . .and therein lies the opportunity: Investors in gene therapy companies may capture serious returns on risk capital when the cure is attained. More >

Brinson Patrick's Christopher S. James: All Catalysts Are Not Created Equal
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (12/4/14)
Why do some good-news milestones cause stocks to languish, or even fall? Neurosurgeon Christopher James, managing director and senior biotechnology analyst at Brinson Patrick Securities, performs due diligence on stocks, in part, by connecting his clinical experience to the readiness of physicians and patients to adopt new therapies. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, James gives real-life examples of catalysts and their effects, and highlights three strong biotech plays that could return multiples of invested capital. More >

Rolling with Biotech's Regulatory Punches: Chen Lin
Source: Peter Byrne of The Life Sciences Report  (11/25/14)
Being temporarily burned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can be a mixed blessing for a biotech with a good product in the pipeline. In an interview with The Life Sciences Report, Chen Lin, publisher of the investor newsletter What is Chen Buying? What is Chen Selling?, explains how to make money on biotech trades in sync with both the good regulatory news and the bad. More >

Investment Banker Dick Huebner on How to Uncover Micro-Cap Biotechs that Deliver on Promises
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (11/20/14)
Micro-cap stocks suffer from all sorts of ills. They are often illiquid, and companies can be unable to raise new funds under reasonable terms, if at all. Investing in these equities requires extraordinary expertise and experience, and that is where micro-cap investment banker Richard "Dick" Huebner excels. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Huebner, a senior managing partner with Denver-based GVC Capital, discusses the downside and the upside of micro-cap biotech investment, and the desirable characteristics risk takers should be looking for in very small companies. More >

Thinking Differently About Ebola Virus Disease: WBB Securities' Steve Brozak
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (11/13/14)
What do you get when you combine a top-ranked industry analyst with a retired lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Marine Corp.? You get Steve Brozak, who brings his one-of-a kind perspective on the intricacies of Ebola virus disease to this interview with The Life Sciences Report. His military background, combined with 20 years as a biotech and medtech analyst, has allowed the WBB Securities cofounder to develop a reasoned perspective on how West Africa's Ebola epidemic might be humanely halted. Brozak also mentions small-cap names that could considerably enhance investors' portfolios. More >

Ebola's Silver Lining: MLV & Co.'s George Zavoico
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (11/12/14)
A working knowledge of molecular biology is essential for a biotech investor, but it helps when someone with deep knowledge of science and medicine can bring understanding to the people who commit capital to growth ideas. George Zavoico of MLV & Co. has that advantage, having been a senior investigator at a large pharma before moving on to research at smaller, pure biotech firms. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Zavoico brings a wealth of experience to bear on the valuations of smaller companies with phenomenal growth prospects, and discusses how the quest for a cure for Ebola could disrupt—and improve—our approach to medical crises. More >

Biotech Watchlist Update: Small-Cap Biotechs Struggle to Rebound
Source: Tracy Salcedo-Chourré of The Life Sciences Report  (11/6/14)
When the biotechnology market hit a speed bump in early 2014, every stock in the sector was jolted. Large-cap biotech and big pharma have largely recovered, but small- and micro-cap companies haven't yet entirely recouped the losses. The performance of Streetwise Reports' Biotechnology Watchlist to date reflects this trend: The portfolio lingered in negative territory after the late-winter punch, and hovers near breakeven as of Nov. 3. To get a handle on the drivers of small-cap stock price volatility, The Life Sciences Report turned to a pair of the analysts who selected companies for the 2014 Watchlist, John McCamant of the Medical Technology Stock Letter and George Zavoico of MLV & Co. In this recap, the two experts offer updates on the companies they selected for the portfolio. More >

R. Lee Buckler: How RepliCel Is Harnessing the Awesome Power of Cell Therapy
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (11/6/14)
Regenerative medicine and cell therapies hold possibilities for achieving near miracles in a multitude of indications, from life-saving treatments to aesthetic applications. RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. (RP:TSX.V; REPCF:OTCQB) is tackling a mix of medical and cosmetic issues that include hair regeneration, repair of painful and debilitating tendon injuries and rejuvenation of damaged skin. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, R. Lee Buckler, the company's new vice president of business and corporate development, discusses his firm's innovative technology platform and the upcoming milestones that could affect its shares. More >

Huge Growth Delivered in Very Small Packages: SeeThruEquity's Ajay Tandon and Brandon Primack
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (10/30/14)
Institutional investors are, by and large, unable to own shares in companies with market valuations of less than $100 million, which means most sellside analysts don't write research on very small companies. The paradox: The micro-cap space is where investors can find the tenbaggers. That disconnect and its attendant irony are not lost on SeeThruEquity's Ajay Tandon and Brandon Primack. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Tandon and Primack discuss four companies nurturing seeds of dramatic growth that could materialize in the wake of upcoming catalysts. More >

The Game-Changing Potential of DNA Vaccines: Inovio's Dr. Joseph Kim
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (10/29/14)
Since Edward Jenner's development of the smallpox vaccine in the late 1790s, humankind has enjoyed the benefit of immunization, which has saved many millions of lives. Today, Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (INO:NYSE.MKT) is in the forefront of developing DNA vaccines, inserting engineered genes into cellular machinery to synthesize proteins that, in turn, generate antibodies that fight disease. An additional benefit is a powerful T-cell response, which harnesses the patient's own capacity to fight infections and cancers. If pivotal studies read out favorably, DNA immunization could prove a true game changer in healthcare. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Inovio President and CEO J. Joseph Kim discusses his company's platform technology, which addresses both therapeutic and preventive methods of fighting disease. More >

Japan Gives a Hug to the Cell Therapy Industry: R. Lee Buckler
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (10/22/14)
Last year, Japan rolled out the red carpet for cell therapy developers with new legislation designed to expedite development of regenerative medicine solutions for all manner of disease. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, former regenerative medicine consultant R. Lee Buckler, now a vice president with RepliCel Life Sciences Inc., puts his consultant's hat back on to talk about Japan's hospitable stance on proposed cell therapies. He provides an update on the meaning of the new law and discusses a small cohort of companies poised to reap the advantages. More >

Follow the Baby Boom to Profits: Agility Health's Steven Davidson
Source: Peter Byrne of The Life Sciences Report  (10/21/14)
In recent years, entrepreneurial therapists have comprised the fast-growing sector in outpatient physical therapy. But companies like Agility Health are beginning to seize acquisition opportunities and market share in this growing sector. Steven Davidson, CEO of Agility Health Inc., tells The Life Sciences Report how his company is innovating in the physical therapy space, improving patient care and clients' bottom lines through its management expertise and proprietary software, AgileRPM. With baby boomers aging and the Affordable Care Act increasing access to services, physical therapy just might be the safe haven sector to shield your portfolio from macroeconomic uncertainty. More >

How to Bargain Hunt for Hot Biotechs: Edison's Pooya Hemami
Source: Peter Byrne of The Life Sciences Report  (10/15/14)
Every business day, Edison Investment Research Analyst Pooya Hemami scours the global markets for life science companies with upside flowing through their product pipelines. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Dr. Hemami tells us where to look for biotech bargains, including a few top-fliers and a handful of companies that have experienced temporary setbacks but are poised for blue sky. More >

Griffin Securities' Keith Markey on the Promise of RNAi and Synthetic Biology
Source: Michael Goodman of The Life Sciences Report  (10/9/14)
Griffin Securities has assembled a biotech portfolio weighted toward companies pursuing high-science therapeutic approaches. However, as analyst Keith Markey explains, through a combination of pipeline diversification, positive clinical data, and low-cost research and development strategies, many companies are able to mitigate the risk inherent in their technologies. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Markey discusses near-term catalysts for some of the names he follows. More >

A Tour of Australian Biotechs with Morgans’ Scott Power
Source: Peter Byrne of The Life Sciences Report  (10/2/14)
Australia is a powerhouse for medical science innovations, and nobody understands that better than Scott Power of Morgans Financial Ltd. Power watched the weaker Australian firms go the way of the dodo bird during the downturn in the biotech sector earlier this year, leaving only the fittest for investors to choose from. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, he identifies a promising selection of survivors—biotechs with the power to rejuvenate an evolving portfolio. More >