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
Showing posts with label DexCom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DexCom. Show all posts
Friday, February 14, 2014
Monday, July 1, 2013
MassDevice: Diabetes: The Path To An Artificial Pancreas Looks A Little More Reasonable
There are more than a few similarities between the idea of building
an artificial pancreas and finding the Holy Grail – everybody agrees
that it would be great if it were possible, but it's definitely not
easy, and more than a few people think it's a vain pursuit. To that end,
while there was once again a fair bit of attention
at the 73rd annual ADA meeting last week and some encouraging
incremental study data, the road to success is still a long and
uncertain one.
Integrating The Diagnostics And Therapeutics Into A Single Autonomous Package
An artificial pancreas, also known as a “closed loop system” has been a theoretical goal of insulin therapy almost since the invention of the insulin pump. In fact, MiniMed frequently talked of its intention to develop a fully closed-loop system prior to its acquisition by Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), and that was about 12 years ago now.
Please click here for the full article:
http://www.massdevice.com/blogs/massdevice/diabetes-path-artificial-pancreas-looks-little-more-reasonable
Integrating The Diagnostics And Therapeutics Into A Single Autonomous Package
An artificial pancreas, also known as a “closed loop system” has been a theoretical goal of insulin therapy almost since the invention of the insulin pump. In fact, MiniMed frequently talked of its intention to develop a fully closed-loop system prior to its acquisition by Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), and that was about 12 years ago now.
Please click here for the full article:
http://www.massdevice.com/blogs/massdevice/diabetes-path-artificial-pancreas-looks-little-more-reasonable
Friday, June 14, 2013
MassDevice: Not A Lot Of Bargains Among Med-Tech Stocks
Medical technology stocks of all stripes have been enjoying a pretty
exceptional run in the market, as healthcare has actually been 1 of the
leading sectors in the recent rally. Unfortunately for investors,
however, revenue, profits, and free cash flow have not been improving at
the same rate, and the number of real bargains in the market has shrunk
noticeably. While there are still a few opportunities that look
undervalued, investors are increasingly finding themselves faced with a
limited menu of attractive options.
Please read more here:
http://www.massdevice.com/blogs/massdevice/not-lot-bargains-among-medtech-stocks
Please read more here:
http://www.massdevice.com/blogs/massdevice/not-lot-bargains-among-medtech-stocks
MassDevice: The Strange Case Of The Diabetes Market
It wasn't so long ago when diabetes was
one of the hot sectors of med-tech where many companies felt they had
to have a presence, no matter what the cost. And while it is true
that the incidence of diabetes continues to increase at worrisome
rates in many countries, the diabetes market is no longer a “build
it (or buy it), and the growth will come” type of proposition. It
may not be quite true that diabetes as become a “winner takes all”
sort of market, it is definitely a market where data, pricing, and
marketing muscle make a big difference.
Please click below to continue:
http://www.massdevice.com/blogs/massdevice/strange-case-diabetes-market
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Seeking Alpha: A Med-tech Shopping List For Japanese Companies
Outside of pharmaceuticals and "big iron" applications like imaging, Japanese companies haven't made much impression on the U.S. healthcare market. That may be changing, though. As Japan faces its own aging population and companies look to diversify from traditional industries, healthcare is becoming an increasingly popular sector in corporate Japan.
It's still too soon to call it a real trend, but Japanese companies have recently shown an inclination towards accelerating their diversification by buying established U.S. med-tech names. Asahi Kasei recently announced a $2 billion-plus deal for ZOLL Medical (ZOLL), while a few months earlier Fujifilm stepped up to buy SonoSite (SONO). Though not exactly comparable, Terumo (a Japanese healthcare and device company) acquired CaridianBCT for over $2 billion early in 2011 to strengthen its position in the global transfusion equipment market.
Please follow this link for more:
A Med-Tech Shopping List For Japanese Companies
It's still too soon to call it a real trend, but Japanese companies have recently shown an inclination towards accelerating their diversification by buying established U.S. med-tech names. Asahi Kasei recently announced a $2 billion-plus deal for ZOLL Medical (ZOLL), while a few months earlier Fujifilm stepped up to buy SonoSite (SONO). Though not exactly comparable, Terumo (a Japanese healthcare and device company) acquired CaridianBCT for over $2 billion early in 2011 to strengthen its position in the global transfusion equipment market.
Please follow this link for more:
A Med-Tech Shopping List For Japanese Companies
Friday, July 8, 2011
Generex - Seriously?
I'm halfway surprised that Generex (Nasdaq: GNBT.OB) can still get anybody to listen to them. But I guess hope dies hard.
The company says that it has results from two "major" Phase 1 studies of Oral-lyn that ...
You know what? Forget it.
I'm not going to give this garbage pile any more of my time. Oral-lyn has been junk from day one and the notion that there is such a thing as a "major" Phase 1 study just proves all over again that this is a company that exists to suck up the capital of credulous retail investors.
Want to invest in a risky diabetes play? Go with Biodel (Nasdaq: BIOD) or MannKind (Nasdaq: MNKD). Go with Amylin (Nasdaq: AMLN), Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), Insulet (Nasdaq: PODD) or DexCom (Nasdaq: DXCM) for something a little more tangible. Hell, take a flyer on Lexicon (Nasdaq: LXRX) and its early-stage diabetes compound.
But for god's sake, don't give Generex any more attention.
Disclosure: I own shares of Amylin and Lexicon
The company says that it has results from two "major" Phase 1 studies of Oral-lyn that ...
You know what? Forget it.
I'm not going to give this garbage pile any more of my time. Oral-lyn has been junk from day one and the notion that there is such a thing as a "major" Phase 1 study just proves all over again that this is a company that exists to suck up the capital of credulous retail investors.
Want to invest in a risky diabetes play? Go with Biodel (Nasdaq: BIOD) or MannKind (Nasdaq: MNKD). Go with Amylin (Nasdaq: AMLN), Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), Insulet (Nasdaq: PODD) or DexCom (Nasdaq: DXCM) for something a little more tangible. Hell, take a flyer on Lexicon (Nasdaq: LXRX) and its early-stage diabetes compound.
But for god's sake, don't give Generex any more attention.
Disclosure: I own shares of Amylin and Lexicon
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Investopedia: DexCom Shows Diabetes Still A Growth Industry
Today's diabetes market highlights the importance that individual stock selection still has in successful investing. While it may very well be generally true that overall sector movements explain a lot of an individual stock's performance, that has not been the case in this market. While the overall tone and tenor has been pretty negative, select names like Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) and DexCom (Nasdaq:DXCM) have done quite well indeed.
A Strong End to DexCom's Year
It has not all been smooth sailing for DexCom (the stock took a spanking late in 2010), but the company continues to build its emerging continuous glucose monitoring business. For the fourth quarter, total revenue increased 49%, while product revenue more than doubled from the year-ago level and rose 26% sequentially. DexCom also saw an encouraging jump in the sale of its start kits, to the tune of 24% sequential growth.
As the company increases its sales, it is beginning to see some operating leverage. Gross profit on product sales increased nearly five times (again, on a doubling of revenue) in the fourth quarter, when compared to the prior year. At the same time, the company has kept a lid on SG&A spending while still investing significant resources into R&D. All told, the company produced an operating loss more or less in line with the prior year's level.
Click below for the full piece:
http://stocks.investopedia.
A Strong End to DexCom's Year
It has not all been smooth sailing for DexCom (the stock took a spanking late in 2010), but the company continues to build its emerging continuous glucose monitoring business. For the fourth quarter, total revenue increased 49%, while product revenue more than doubled from the year-ago level and rose 26% sequentially. DexCom also saw an encouraging jump in the sale of its start kits, to the tune of 24% sequential growth.
As the company increases its sales, it is beginning to see some operating leverage. Gross profit on product sales increased nearly five times (again, on a doubling of revenue) in the fourth quarter, when compared to the prior year. At the same time, the company has kept a lid on SG&A spending while still investing significant resources into R&D. All told, the company produced an operating loss more or less in line with the prior year's level.
Click below for the full piece:
http://stocks.investopedia.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Hottest Device Stocks Of 2010
2010 was a tough year for medical device stocks. Investors faced up to the reality that a popular myth - that people do not meaningfully change their health care consumption because of the economy - is just not true. Investors also had to digest the impact of a suddenly much more industry-unfriendly FDA, which is imposing new (and in many cases unspecified) standards regarding safety and the trade-off with efficacy.
All in all, the medical device industry lost about 5% in 2010, just barely missing the bottom 10 list of underperformers. In fact, in broad terms, banks (which includes many subcategories), biotechnology, solar and for-profit education were the only ones separating medical devices from the bottom.
That said, it was not all doom and gloom in the sector. In fact, many medical device companies not only outperformed the industry but did quite well in absolute terms. Here are some of the notable performers of the year. (For a quick refresher, check out A Checklist Of Successful Medical Technology Investment.)
Growth Is Growth
NxStage Medical (Nasdaq:NXTM) does not get all that much attention, but this company has brought to reality what many companies have tried (and failed) to develop for at least two decades - an at-home hemodialysis system that actually works in both a technical and practical sense. NxStage is not profitable yet, but the company is posting double-digit growth (annualizing over $100 million). On top of that, sell-side analyst interest is picking up, and institutional investors are becoming a bigger player in the stock. All of that has fueled a better than 200% jump in the stock over the last year.
Please follow the link:
http://stocks.investopedia.
All in all, the medical device industry lost about 5% in 2010, just barely missing the bottom 10 list of underperformers. In fact, in broad terms, banks (which includes many subcategories), biotechnology, solar and for-profit education were the only ones separating medical devices from the bottom.
That said, it was not all doom and gloom in the sector. In fact, many medical device companies not only outperformed the industry but did quite well in absolute terms. Here are some of the notable performers of the year. (For a quick refresher, check out A Checklist Of Successful Medical Technology Investment.)
Growth Is Growth
NxStage Medical (Nasdaq:NXTM) does not get all that much attention, but this company has brought to reality what many companies have tried (and failed) to develop for at least two decades - an at-home hemodialysis system that actually works in both a technical and practical sense. NxStage is not profitable yet, but the company is posting double-digit growth (annualizing over $100 million). On top of that, sell-side analyst interest is picking up, and institutional investors are becoming a bigger player in the stock. All of that has fueled a better than 200% jump in the stock over the last year.
Please follow the link:
http://stocks.investopedia.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Dark Days In Diabetes
Diabetes has long been one of the most "investable" diseases, with a host of pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device plays on this serious (and increasingly common) condition. Recent weeks have not been kind to the sector, though, as a range of problems and challenges have sent investors to the sidelines.
FDA - Don't Call Us, We'll Call You
Several companies have seen their fortunes take a bad turn either in the clinic or from the Food and Drug Administration.
Roche (Nasdaq:RHHBY) has essentially been sent back to the drawing board on its weekly GLP-1 drug taspoglutide, and there is a good chance that the side-effect problems that halted a Phase 3 study will prove insurmountable. Another would-be long-acting GLP-1 drug (to be marketed by Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) was surprisingly rejected due to FDA worries about safety and a demand for a new study.
Biodel (Nasdaq:BIOD) recently saw its application for a new formulation of insulin rejected due to sample handling and patient drop-out problems, and the FDA's unwillingness to brook a post-hoc analysis of the data. Both Vivus (Nasdaq:VVUS) and Arena Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:ARNA) saw their obesity drugs rejected (obesity is a leading cause of Type 2 diabetes), though the FDA left a sliver of hope for both companies (particularly Vivus).
Please click the link for the full article:
http://stocks.investopedia.
FDA - Don't Call Us, We'll Call You
Several companies have seen their fortunes take a bad turn either in the clinic or from the Food and Drug Administration.
Roche (Nasdaq:RHHBY) has essentially been sent back to the drawing board on its weekly GLP-1 drug taspoglutide, and there is a good chance that the side-effect problems that halted a Phase 3 study will prove insurmountable. Another would-be long-acting GLP-1 drug (to be marketed by Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) was surprisingly rejected due to FDA worries about safety and a demand for a new study.
Biodel (Nasdaq:BIOD) recently saw its application for a new formulation of insulin rejected due to sample handling and patient drop-out problems, and the FDA's unwillingness to brook a post-hoc analysis of the data. Both Vivus (Nasdaq:VVUS) and Arena Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:ARNA) saw their obesity drugs rejected (obesity is a leading cause of Type 2 diabetes), though the FDA left a sliver of hope for both companies (particularly Vivus).
Please click the link for the full article:
http://stocks.investopedia.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Seven Hot Medical Device Ideas
I have made the case before that medical technology has something to appeal to any type of investor. If you want value, you will find it. If you want income, you will find it. Today, we talk about some of the most highly-valued "hot" stocks in the space.
Edwards Lifesciences - Not Boring Anymore
For quite a while, Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) was a sleepy company. A leader in tissue heart valves and critical care monitoring products, there was a time when it was difficult to get anybody interested in this idea.
Not anymore.
Edwards is making a concerted effort to move into higher-growth, higher-margin products. With a very interesting new approach to heart valve replacement, the minimally-invasive trans-catheter Sapien valve, the company is well on its way and could become a consistent double-digit grower. (For more, see A Checklist To Successful Medical Technology Investment.)
For the complete article, please go to:
http://stocks.investopedia.
Edwards Lifesciences - Not Boring Anymore
For quite a while, Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) was a sleepy company. A leader in tissue heart valves and critical care monitoring products, there was a time when it was difficult to get anybody interested in this idea.
Not anymore.
Edwards is making a concerted effort to move into higher-growth, higher-margin products. With a very interesting new approach to heart valve replacement, the minimally-invasive trans-catheter Sapien valve, the company is well on its way and could become a consistent double-digit grower. (For more, see A Checklist To Successful Medical Technology Investment.)
For the complete article, please go to:
http://stocks.investopedia.
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