Emerging-Growth Opportunities in Oncology and Endocrinology Biotech: a Wall Street Transcript Interview with Boris Peaker of Oppenheimer & Company
67 WALL STREET, New York - September 14, 2012 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts and Money Managers. The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.
Topics covered: Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Valuations - Oncology Drug Development - Orphan Drugs - FDA Approval Process - Reimbursement Trends
Companies include: Amgen Inc. (AMGN), Celgene Corporation (CELG), Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (CLDX), Immunogen Inc. (IMGN), Curis Inc. (CRIS), Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. (PSTI) and many others.
In the following excerpt from the Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Report, an expert analyst discusses the outlook for the sector:
TWST: What are some of the most exciting or promising new drugs, treatments or technologies coming out of your companies right now that investors should be aware of?
Mr. Peaker: The oncology space is actually very rapidly evolving, so let's start with oncology first - I think that will be interesting. So oncology, and sometimes I guess in the same field people include immunology, is certainly a rapidly evolving space, where new data is presented quite frequently, and studies often don't take a very long period of time compared to some other indications, like figuring cholesterol and things like that.
So in the oncology space, some of the interesting new developments are Celldex (CLDX) as a new drug in breast cancer, which is targeting a completely novel target, which is certainly exciting with some of the early stages of development, but the initial data is very encouraging. Speaking of breast cancer, ImmunoGen (IMGN) with their partner Roche (ROG.VX) - I don't cover Roche, I cover ImmunoGen, but I follow certainly this space. Also, it's a very interesting breast cancer drug that shows very, very promising data. Furthermore, in cancer, Curis (CRIS) with its partner Genentech, recently launched a basal cell carcinoma drug, which is very exciting, and while it still needs a little time to figure out how to best use it, the efficacy is very, very encouraging.
On the cell therapy space, which is another area that I cover, there is a company, Pluristem (PSTI), a small company out there. It's an Israeli-based company that has shown very interesting, certainly initial data, cell therapy treatments that may have broad applications. Let's say Coronado Biosciences (CNDO) is another one that's developing potentially breakthrough treatments, which is more in the immunology space, but it's in Crohn's, which is a broad indication where there are a lot of drugs that are being tested and are certainly approved. But their approach is very novel, and potentially could change the paradigm of treatment if successful. I don't know if you want me to bring up more examples, but this is kind of a good start.
Prolor Biotech (PBTH) is another one that I might want to include there. It is a company that I initiated on just today, so I can speak about it already as developing. This is, as I mentioned, I have oncology and some orphan diseases, but a few companies out there that are, don't fit into any particular category, and so what they're developing, Prolor is developing a delayed-release growth hormone. So as you may know, growth hormone is used in a wide range of indications, some labeled and some are not labeled. And typically, every growth hormone that's available out there requires daily injection. Prolor's technology shows that their version of growth hormone is effective and may be given once a week, maybe every two weeks, but for now at least once a week. And we think it could be a game changer for the growth hormone market, which is well established at this point.
For more from this interview and many others visit the Wall Street Transcript - a unique service for investors and industry researchers - providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs, portfolio managers and research analysts. This special issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.
