New Melanoma Therapies Are Ready for Prime Time: Sanjiv Agarwala
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (4/29/14)
Melanoma confronts patients and their physicians with unique barriers to treatment and successful outcomes. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Dr. Sanjiv Agarwala, chief of medical oncology and hematology at St. Luke's University Hospital, illuminates some of the new paradigms being developed in the treatment of this deadly skin cancer. Along the way, he spotlights interesting companies working in the field. More >

Charles Duncan: 2014 Is for Careful Stock Pickers, Not Dart Throwers
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (4/24/14)
Veteran Senior Biotechnology Analyst Charles Duncan of Piper Jaffray & Co. sees platform companies as the perfect way to play a consolidating market. We've had a big run in biotech, and Duncan believes now is the time to identify, through careful diligence, companies that can advance in a more temperate market. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Duncan discusses five biotech and specialty pharma innovators poised to produce therapies enabled by versatile and scalable technology platforms that target multiple disease indications. More >

Do the Math: Ram Selvaraju on the Appeal of Biotechs in Orphan Diseases
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (4/22/14)
To cast a spotlight on disruptive biotechnology stocks, Raghuram "Ram" Selvaraju of Aegis Capital Corp. taps his experience as a molecular biologist, preclinical investigator and sellside analyst. In this, the last of his three interviews with The Life Sciences Report, Selvaraju highlights micro-, small- and mid-cap biotech names with therapies that may add years to patients' lives and liftoff to investor portfolios. More >

The Traffic Jam that Kills Thousands of People Every Day
Source: Juan Enriquez, Tomorrow in Review  (4/22/14)
"But the real question is by not approving drugs in the renal and cardiac unit, did he also kill people by not acting? Are there consequences to not acting? Because sometimes by not acting, by being too careful, by making it too expensive, maybe we're killing more people than regulation is saving." More >

Four Hidden Australian Life Sciences Growth Stocks Revealed: Scott Power
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (4/17/14)
To find undiscovered stories, investors must venture into unfamiliar territory. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, we go halfway around the world to speak with Scott Power of Morgans Financial Ltd. about companies under coverage in Australia. Power helps investors get comfortable with the idea of putting money into newfound names, and unveils four strong ideas that could invigorate adventuresome portfolios and investors hungering for excitement. More >

Build Biotech Wealth on Solid Platforms: Grant Zeng
Source: Peter Byrne and Tracy Salcedo-Chourré of The Life Sciences Report  (4/17/14)
Potential. That's what every investor is looking for in a biotech investment. Grant Zeng of Zacks Small-Cap Research zeroes in on three primary factors when he looks at whether a particular company has the potential to succeed in the fast-moving life sciences industry. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Zeng dissects his process and names 10 companies that have survived his exacting examination. More >

Novel Tools for Early Cancer Detection: Verisante Technology Inc.
Source: Daniel Levy of The Life Sciences Report  (4/17/14)
Early detection of cancer has a profound impact on the effectiveness of medical/surgical treatments, as well as on the long-term prognoses of patients. Consequently, new technologies are evolving with the ability to detect cancers in their earliest and most treatable stages. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Thomas Braun, president and CEO of Verisante Technology Inc., describes his company's Aura and Core devices, and their utility in early cancer detection. More >

There Is No Biotech Bubble; Here's the Real Story
Source: Ernie Tremblay, Money Morning  (4/11/14)
"The job in the startup phase is R&D, not market performance." More >

Don't Miss the Boat on Big Biotech Catalysts: Keith Markey
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (4/10/14)
Keith Markey, veteran analyst and science director of Griffin Securities, tells us the 2014 pipeline calendar positively glows with important milestones that could ignite portfolios. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Markey talks about four powerful biotech names with exciting early- to late-stage development projects, and one medical device and supply company with serious growth potential. Be warned—huge catalysts are on the horizon that investors won't want to miss. More >

Hang On, Folks—It's Going to Be a Bumpy Ride: 2014 Biotech Watchlist Update
Source: Tracy Salcedo-Chourré of The Life Sciences Report  (4/10/14)
Biotech stocks sailed into 2014 backed by a favorable wind, but springtime has stymied the sector in confused seas. Companies on The Life Sciences Report's 2014 Biotech Watchlist have hit the doldrums along with the rest, as faithful followers of the portfolio are doubtless aware. But sector analysts defend the general robustness of the life sciences market as a whole. In this Biotech Watchlist update, we bring you the thoughts of two analysts on the recent market turbulence, and offer brief recaps of Watchlist companies' fortunes year to date. More >

Putting Money Where the Mouse Is: How Animal Studies Lead Medical Research Down Dead Ends
Source: Richard Harris, NPR  (4/8/14)
"If scientists had been more careful with their initial mouse studies, they would have realized that these drugs were never good candidates and that it made no sense to try them in people." More >

Venture Capitalist Ran Nussbaum Brings Big Finance to Little Biotechs
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report   (4/3/14)
Biotech companies don't come into the world fully formed. Like most fledglings, they need guidance to grow, prosper and eventually thrive in public markets. Venture capitalist Ran Nussbaum of the Pontifax Group nurtures tiny biotech and medtech startups, finding capital for their growth and maturation. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Nussbaum discusses exciting private equity holdings that are close to going public, and makes a case for one public company he knows quite well. More >

How Did High Flyers Turn into Soul Searchers? Maxim Analyst Jason Kolbert on the Highs and Lows of Biotech Valuations
Source: Editors, Streetwise Reports  (4/2/14)
After soaring more than 56% last year, the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index is down almost 15% in March. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Jason Kolbert of the Maxim Group points to increased approval rates and a better economic and regulatory environment as the fundamentals behind a revaluation that has occurred in the sector. Kolbert also reflects on recent concerns about pricing and policy changes that have triggered what he considers a normal, healthy correction in an otherwise robust and intact sector. More >

Medical Marijuana in Canada: A Growth Industry
Source: Visual Capitalist  (3/30/14)
"With new federal legislation in effect as of April 1, 2014, the market for medical marijuana in Canada is changing drastically." More >

From Lab Bench to Bedside: David Lowe Brings Common Sense to Neuroscience Investing
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (3/26/14)
Billions of dollars have been spent chasing molecular targets in neurological diseases that now appear to be worthless. Effective therapies remain rare. But the market is enormous—and low risk—if a company can get a truly workable solution to patients. Consultant and neuroscientist David Lowe, president and CEO of NeuroAssets, helps biotech firms identify targets and find innovative ways to rapidly move drugs into the clinic. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Lowe describes one company with exciting preclinical and clinical-stage assets, and advances two more names worthy of investor attention. More >

Apply Market Savvy to Bear Market Debris; Uncover Biotech Treasures: Cleland and Ireland
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (3/20/14)
Starting a new investment company and investing in very small biotechs can be a minefield. Because the business is fraught with bad science and liquidity traps, it takes insight and industry experience to ensure investment capital doesn't drop down a foxhole. Roadmap Capital CEO and Founder Hugh Cleland is in the process of negotiating the minefield now. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Cleland and Stephen Ireland, Roadmap Capital principal and healthcare partner, discuss five growth names with merit, plus two brief bonus picks. More >

Promising Biotechs Target New Ways to Kill Bad Bugs: Venture Capitalist Dennis Purcell
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report   (3/18/14)
Dennis Purcell, senior managing partner of Aisling Capital, has seen the biotechnology industry morph from exciting science project to a full-blown, multibillion-dollar industry producing blockbuster products that routinely save lives. Now a new crisis is looming, as drug-resistant bacteria evolve, proliferate and wreak havoc. With this dire need driving interest, Purcell believes a change of focus, from oncology and orphan drug indications to anti-infectives, will develop in 2014 and beyond. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Purcell shares ideas that could offer a definitive cure for your portfolio. More >

2014: The Year Gene Editing Shocks the World
Source: Ray Blanco, The Daily Reckoning  (3/18/14)
"In labs, researchers can go in and they can basically rewrite the code of life, the genome encoded on the DNA molecule." More >

Exuberant, Yes: Michael King on How the Oncology Drug Development Machine Builds Biotech Wealth
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report   (3/13/14)
Veteran biotechnology analyst Michael King of JMP Securities has seen drug development evolve from hit-or-miss to the sophisticated, high-throughput discovery techniques in place today. He understands the sector, the entrepreneurs and the valuations as well as anyone on Wall Street. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, King zeros in on the oncology space, his focus for nearly two decades. Never single-minded, King's stable of thoroughbred names includes a bonus pick he likes very much in the field of fertility. More >

Shining a Light on Overlooked and Underfollowed Biotechs: George Zavoico
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (3/6/14)
Prospecting for hidden biotech gems makes sense, says H.C. Wainwright & Co. Managing Director George Zavoico, who recently joined the firm's healthcare equity research team. The digging can be hard, but the rewards of successful diligence are huge. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Zavoico takes readers on a discovery tour that follows clinical trial data to new ideas that could bring windfalls to portfolios down the road. More >

Better, Faster, Cheaper—You Can Have All Three in Medtech: Ben Haynor
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (3/5/14)
Given that medical technology is an easy target for payers looking to cut reimbursements, it's important for investors to find device and diagnostic companies with the greatest efficiencies. Accuracy, speed and economy command a premium multiple because these features ultimately relieve pressure on margins, improve quality and reduce patient risk and institutional liability. In this interview with The Life Sciences Report, Senior Research Analyst Ben Haynor of Feltl & Co. shares his top two medtech names, which he expects will achieve outsized gains this year. He also delivers a couple of bonus names that investors could parlay into a profitable small- and micro-cap portfolio. More >

Evaluate Biotech Stocks with Cynicism: Debjit Chattopadhyay
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (2/27/14)
Biotech investing is a risky business, so investors should thoroughly examine a company's vital statistics before taking the plunge. That's the recommendation of Managing Director Debjit Chattopadhyay of Emerging Growth Equities, who brings a strict scientific discipline to stock analysis. As a former medical researcher, Chattopadhyay comes by his skepticism honestly, and in this interview with The Life Sciences Report, he brings five exciting—but critically scrutinized—growth names to investors' attention. More >

Bryan Brokmeier Remains Bullish on Life Sciences Tools and Diagnostics Companies
Source: George S. Mack of The Life Sciences Report  (2/27/14)
This will be a great year for life sciences tools and diagnostics companies, says Bryan Brokmeier of Maxim Group. And no, growth won't be driven by irrational exuberance, the senior analyst explains in this interview with The Life Sciences Report. Instead, the industry is bolstered by powerful tailwinds fanning new demand for molecular diagnostics, and by the clamoring of academia, pharmas and biotechs for specialized assay platforms. As Brokmeier lays out his sector growth theory, he also highlights a group of stocks with value drivers that could power a portfolio with biotechlike growth potential. More >

Pharma Learns to Brave the Patent Cliff
Source: EP Vantage   (2/25/14)
"The pharmaceutical industry is on the brink of another significant patent expiry cliff. Unlike the one it fell off in 2012, though, the latest version will leave it relatively unscathed." More >

Specialty Pharma Bulking Up: $100B Boost in 2013 Market Cap Drives Deals in Early 2014
Source: Andrew Forman, EY  (2/25/14)
"Specialty pharma acquirers accounted for roughly 40% of all 2013 M&A by value, with no fewer than seven offshore deals totaling over US$35B. All of these deals resulted in increased 2014 guidance." More >