Despite the controversy surrounding genetically modified crops, there is a reason they've been planted on more than 1 billion acres of land since 1996. GM crops can offer nutritional and medical benefits in developing countries and industrialized advantages such as drought tolerance and pest immunity. Well, except for that last one. A new study conducted by the University of Arizona found that five of the 13 major pests were found to be resistant to the crops engineered to keep them at bay. In 2006, only one super-pest existed.
Is this the beginning of the end for biotechnology seed companies Monsanto (NYSE: MON ) , Syngenta (NYSE: SYT ) , and DuPont (NYSE: DD ) ? I know this doesn't help the recent string of negative publicity, but it actually isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. In fact, the world's agriculture industry is doing remarkably well at the 1 billion acre mark, compared with the early doomsday predictions of the critics. This is nowhere near a global epidemic, either: The resistance problem is isolated to localized regions. Luckily, the industry has already come up with a solution that will reverse its spread and minimize future occurrences.
Hot Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Organovo Holdings Inc (ONVO)
Organovo Holdings, Inc. (Organovo), formerly Real Estate Restoration & Rental, Inc., incorporated in 2007, is a development-stage company. The Company has developed and is commercializing a platform technology for the generation of three-dimensional (3D) human tissues that can be employed in drug discovery and development, biological research, and as therapeutic implants for the treatment of damaged or degenerating tissues and organs. On December 28, 2011, Real Estate Restoration and Rental, Inc.�� (RERR) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, pursuant to which RERR merged with its, wholly owned subsidiary, Organovo (Merger Sub). On February 8, 2012, the Company merged with and into Organovo Acquisition Corp. (Acquisition Corp.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Organovo, with the Company surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Organovo Holdings (the Merger). As a result of the Merger, Organovo acquired the business of Organovo, Inc.
The Company has collaborative research agreements with Pfizer, Inc. (Pfizer) and United Therapeutic Corporation (Unither). As of March 31, 2012, it has five federal grants, including Small Business Innovation Research grants and developed the NovoGen MMX Bioprinter (its first-generation 3D bioprinter). The Company is engaged in the development of specific 3D human tissues to aid Pfizer in discovery of therapies in two areas of interest. In addition, in October 2011, it entered into a research agreement with Unither to establish and conduct a research program to discover treatments for pulmonary hypertension using its NovoGen MMX Bioprinter technology. Additionally, under the research agreement with Unither, the Company granted Unither an option to acquire from the Company a worldwide, royalty-bearing license in certain intellectual property created under the research agreement solely for use in the treatment or prevention of pulmonary hypertension and all other lung diseases.
The Company�� NovoGen MMX Bioprinter is an automate! d device that enables the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) living tissues comprised of mammalian cells. A custom graphic user interface (GUI) facilitates the 3D design and execution of scripts that direct precision movement of the dispensing heads to deposit cellular building blocks (bio-ink) or supporting hydrogel. The Company is using a third party manufacturer, Invetech Pty., of Melbourne, Australia, to manufacture its NovoGen MMX Bioprinter. Its bioprinting technology and surrounding intellectual property and commercial rights serve as a platform for product generation across multiple markets that employ cell- and tissue-based products and services.
The Company competes with Organogenesis, Advanced BioHealing, Tengion, Genzyme, HumaCyte and Cytograft Tissue Engineering.
Hot Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NAVB)
Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Navidea), formerly Neoprobe Corporation, incorporated in 1983, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of precision diagnostic agents. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� radiopharmaceutical development programs included Lymphoseek (Lymphoseek, Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m for Injection), a radiopharmaceutical agent for lymph node mapping; AZD4694, an imaging agent, and RIGScan, a tumor antigen-specific targeting agent. In January 2012, the Company executed an option agreement with Alseres Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Alseres) to license [123I]-E-IACFT Injection, also called Altropane, an Iodine-123 radiolabeled imaging agent, being developed as an aid in the diagnosis of Parkinson�� disease, movement disorders and dementia. In August 2011, the Company sold its gamma detection device line of business (the GDS Business) to Devicor Medical Products, Inc.
Lymphoseek
Navidea�� pipeline includes clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical agents used to identify the presence and status of disease. Lymphoseek (Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m for Injection) is a lymph node targeting agent intended for use in intraoperative lymphatic mapping (ILM) procedures and lymphoscintigraphy employed in the overall diagnostic assessment of certain solid tumor cancers. The lymph system is a component of the body�� immune system. The key components of the lymph system are lymph nodes-small anatomic structures that contain disease-fighting lymphocytes, filter lymph of bacteria and cancer cells, and signal infection in response to heightened levels of pathogens. In Navidea�� Phase III clinical studies of Lymphoseek, it detected over 99% of positive nodes identified by vital blue dye (VBD). As of December 31, 2011, Navidea, in co-operation with UC, San Diego affiliate (UCSD), completed or initiated five Phase I clinical trials, one multi-center Phase II trial and three multi-center Phase II trials inv! olving Lymphoseek. Two Phase III studies were completed in subjects with breast cancer and melanoma. During the year ended December 31, 2011, data from NEO3-09 were released, which indicated that all primary and secondary endpoints for the study were met. As of December 31, 2011, third Phase III clinical trial for Lymphoseek in subjects with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (NEO3-06) was in progress.
AZD4694
AZD4694 is a Fluorine-18 labeled precision radiopharmaceutical candidate for use in the imaging and evaluation of patients with signs or symptoms of cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). It binds to beta-amyloid deposits in the brain that can then be imaged in positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Amyloid plaque pathology is a required feature of AD and the presence of amyloid pathology is a supportive feature for diagnosis of probable AD. Patients who are negative for amyloid pathology do not have AD. AZD4694 has been studied in several clinical trials. Clinical studies through Phase IIa have included more than 80 patients to date, both suspected AD patients and healthy volunteers. No significant adverse events have been observed. Results suggest that AZD4694 has the ability to image patients quickly and safely with high sensitivity.
RadioImmunoGuided Surgery
As of December 31, 2011, RIGScan had been studied in a number of clinical trials, including Phase III studies. Navidea has conducted two Phase III studies, NEO2-13 and NEO2-14, of RIGScan in patients with primary and metastatic colorectal cancer, respectively. Both studies were multi-institutional involving cancer treatment institutions in the United States, Israel, and the European Union.
The Company competes with Pharmalucence, Eli Lilly, Bayer Schering, General Electric and GE Healthcare.
5 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Algeta ASA (ALGETA.OL)
Algeta ASA is a Norway-based biotechnology company engaged in the development of targeted cancer therapies based on its alpha-pharmaceutical platform. The Company�� principal product is Alpharadin for the treatment of bone metastases resulting from castration-resistant prostate cancer. The Company�� pipeline also includes Alpharadin for the treatment of bone metastases resulting from breast cancer, a combination of Alpharadin with Taxotere for the treatment of bone metastases resulting from prostate cancer and Thorium-227 showing various cancer indications. The Company develops Alpharadin in a development and marketing cooperation with Bayer Schering Pharma. Algeta ASA is active through the two wholly owned subsidiaries, Algeta Innovations AS and Algeta UK Limited. On April 12, 2012, the Company announced that it estabilished a subsidiary active in the United States, Algeta US.
Hot Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc.(SPPI)
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a commercial-stage biotechnology company, primarily focuses on oncology and hematology. The company engages in acquiring, developing, and commercializing a broad and diverse pipeline of late-stage clinical and commercial products. It markets Zevalin, a prescribed form of cancer therapy, radioimmunotherapy; and Fusilev, a novel folate analog formulation and the pharmacologically active isomer of the racemic compound, calcium leucovorin. The company?s drugs in late stage development include Apaziquone, an anti-cancer agent; and Belinostat, a histone deacytelase inhibitor. Its drugs in development also include Ozarelix a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone antagonist, which is in Phase II clinical stage; SPI-1620, a peptide agonist of endothelin B receptors, which is in Phase I clinical stage; and RenaZorb, a lanthanum-based nanoparticle phosphate binding agent, which is in preclinical stage. The company was formerly known as NeoTherapeutics, Inc. and changed its name to Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in December 2002. Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Henderson, Nevada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
Another stock that's quickly moving within range of triggering a big time breakout trade isSpectrum Pharmaceuticals (SPPI), which is a commercial stage biotechnology
company integrated in commercial and drug development operations, primarily in oncology and hematology. This stock has been destroyed by the short-sellers so far in 2013, with shares off by over 30%.If you look at the chart for Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, you'll see that this stock has been trending sideways for the last two months in a consolidation chart pattern, with shares moving between $6.92 on the downside and $7.77 on the upside. This sideways pattern is coming after shares of SPPI gapped down sharply back in March from $12.47 to below $8 a share with heavy downside volume. Shares of SPPI are now quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade above the upper end of its recent sideways chart pattern.
Market players should now look for long-biased trades in SPPI if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $7.65 to $7.77 a share and then once it takes out its 50-day at $8 and its gap down day high at $8.26 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.43 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then SPPI will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone that started at $12.47 a share. Some possible upside targets if SPPI gets into that gap with volume are $9.50 to its 200-day at $10.89 a share.
Traders can look to buy SPPI off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some near-term support levels at $7.09 to $7 a share. One can also buy SPPI off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop at around $7 a share.
This stock is an absolute favorite target of the short-sellers, since the current short interest as a percentage of the float for SPPI is extremely high at 37.4%. This stock has explosive upside potential if it trades into that gap with volume, so make sure to have it on your breakout trading radar.
- [By Michael Shulman]
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SPPI) is a commercial-stage biotechnology company with a primary focus in oncology and hematology The company specializes in rescuing treatments abandoned, in development stages, by other companies.
It has had a tremendous run based on market introductions and partnerships in the past two years, but now has even greater potential for a blockbuster with a drug called Zevalin for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This drug is currently approved as a salvage and adjunct therapy, and the company is in mid-stage trials for the use of Zevalin as a front-line treatment, which would be a much larger market.
The risk in this stock is high. It could be cut in half or worse on bad news from one of several clinical trials. However, successful trial results could take this stock from under $7 to $32 in one to three years. SPPI could also become a takeover target.
Hot Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: EntreMed Inc (ENMD)
EntreMed, Inc. (EntreMed), incorporated in 1991, is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company. EntreMed's drug candidate is ENMD-2076, an Aurora A and angiogenic kinase inhibitor for the treatment of cancer. ENMD-2076 has completed Phase I studies in patients with advanced solid tumors, multiple myeloma and leukemia and is completing data for a multi-center Phase II study in patients with platinum resistant ovarian cancer. The Company�� other product candidates have includes MKC-1, ENMD-1198 and 2-methoxyestrdiol (2ME2, Panzem) for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
ENMD-2076 is a novel orally-active, Aurora A/angiogenic kinase inhibitor with potent activity against Aurora A and multiple tyrosine kinases linked to cancer and inflammatory diseases. ENMD-2076 is relatively selective for the Aurora A isoform in comparison to Aurora B. Aurora kinases are key regulators of the process of mitosis, or cell division, and are often over-expressed in human cancers. ENMD-2076 exerts its effects through multiple mechanisms of action, including anti-proliferative activity and the inhibition of angiogenesis. ENMD-2076 has demonstrated significant, dose-dependent preclinical activity as a single agent, including tumor regression, in multiple xenograft models (such as breast, colon, leukemia), as well as activity towards ex vivo-treated human leukemia patient cells.
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