Friday, February 14, 2014

Seeking Alpha: Echo Therapeutics Facing Major Execution Risks In A Very Competitive Market

I go back a long way with the diabetes space, and glucose monitoring in particular, as that was a big part of my coverage group back in the sell-side research days. During that time, there was the occasional MiniMed (acquired by Medtronic (MDT)) or TheraSense (acquired by Abbott Labs (ABT)), but quite a few Integs for every one of those successes. Today, Echo Therapeutics (ECTE) is grinding along, hoping that its Symphony tCGM System vaults it into the winner's circle with existing glucose monitoring companies like Medtronic, Abbott, and DexCom (DXCM) and not into the scrap heap of failed testing companies.

I have very mixed feelings about this stock. The company has handled its financing needs with about as little finesse as possible, but the company has swapped out the CEO who oversaw those funding rounds. The company's device seems accurate enough to garner FDA approval, but the FDA has a habit of moving the bullseye on companies in this space, and I don't really have a good answer for how Echo will compete against the entrenched players and position the Symphony as the go-to system. All of that suggests to me that this is a binary outcome with a very uncertain future.

Follow this link to continue:
Echo Therapeutics Facing Major Execution Risks In A Very Competitive Market

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