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Modern Medicine Credited For Improving Cancer Survival Rates; Drug-Resistant Cancers Now a Focal Point for Progressive Biotechs
By: AllPennyStocks.com News
July 6, 2010
Cancer, once considered a death sentence, is becoming more and more manageable as the years wear on, but still presents a huge area of great need to address drug-resistance strains of carcinomas.
Figures released by the U.S. National Cancer Institute put the overall five-year relative survival rate for all cancer sites combined up slightly from 49.3% in 1974-76 to 53.9% in 1983-90. Survival rates vary by primary site from less than 3% for cancer of the pancreas to more than 90% for cancer of the thyroid. What is truly remarkable is that survival rates past 20 years for rectal or colon cancers registered around half over the same period. Clearly, the battle on this front is being won.
Even more heartening, women are living longer after being diagnosed for breast cancer – the numbers from the Institute point to a 65% survival rate past 20 years. Part of the recent increase in breast cancer survival may be due to early detection; a higher percentage of the more recent cases were diagnosed with smaller tumors. Survival increases for prostate cancer may also in part be the result of early detection and the inclusion of occult disease in asymptomatic men. Clearly, that battle is also being won.
Not to swamp the reader with facts, figures and statistics, but cancer is still with us and must continue to be fought. Fortunately, modern medicine is getting an upper hand on some of the more oppressive forms of the disease, by way of more sophisticated treatments. Among them, biologic and gene therapy, which work by helping the immune system to function better by using substances that occur naturally in your body to fight cancer. There is also proton therapy, an advanced form of radiation therapy that is currently in use at a limited number of centers worldwide, and photodynamic therapy (PDT) a novel cancer treatment which works by exposing a photosensitizing drug to specific wavelengths of light to kill cancer cells.
Among the companies leading the fight is Seattle-based Dendreon Corporation (Nasdaq:DNDN). DNDN is a biotechnology company focused on targeting cancer, and transforming lives through the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapeutics that may significantly improve cancer treatment options for patients. The company applies its expertise in antigen identification, engineering and cell processing to produce active cellular immunotherapy (ACI) product candidates designed to stimulate an immune response.
DNDN has a manufacturing plant in New Jersey, and building new ones in California and Georgia. Its main target is prostate cancer, and its main weapon, if you will, is a product known as PROVENGE® (sipuleucel-T), recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), marking a new era in personalized medicine: one in which each dose of treatment is manufactured using a patient’s own live cells to target his prostate cancer.
But, financially, at least, DNDN has had a bit of a struggle of its own, what with a first-quarter bottom line that came in less than stellar. Figures released in May showed that revenues for the quarter were $21,000,000 compared to $30,000,000 for the quarter ended March 31, 2009.
The net loss for the first quarter was $125.7 million, or $0.96 per share, compared to $15.4 million, or $0.16 per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2009. The stock price has also taken a corresponding pounding, dipping down to $28.72 in early July, or about half its 52-week peak of $57.67 during the market’s recent high in April.
Another company active in the fight against the dreaded cancer is Summit, New Jersey-based Celgene Corporation (Nasdaq:CELG). The company boasts industry-leading programs that provide patients with information, support and access to their innovative therapies. CELG is also mindful of its low-means patients, and has created a program that provides free product to eligible patients with limited financial resources. In addition, CELG provides donations to foundations and patient advocacy groups which may offer financial assistance to patients who cannot afford their medications.
Among its product line, ISTODAX® for treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in patients who have received at least one prior systemic therapy; REVLIMID® (lenalidomide) in combination with dexamethasone is indicated for the treatment of multiple myeloma patients who have received at least one prior therapy; and THALOMID® (thalidomide) in combination with dexamethasone is indicated for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.
CELG’s bottom line was encouraging, with increased sales of the above mentioned products. First-quarter year-over-year GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) total revenues came in at $791 Million, with GAAP Operating Income registering at $270 Million. GAAP Net Income was $234 Million.
Still, all is not what it should be these days with CELG, for it is being blocked in its attempt to buy Abraxis BioSciences Inc. (Nasdaq:ABII), the latter company’s board of directors currently under investigation for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and violation of other state laws in connection with the prospective sale.
The investigation concerns whether the ABII board members breached their fiduciary duties to ABII stockholders by failing adequately to shop the Company before entering into this transaction and whether CELG is underpaying for ABII shares, thus unlawfully harming ABII stockholders.
As for its own stockholders, CELG traded just above the $50 mark heading into the long July 4 weekend, the lower portion of a trading range that peaked in March at $65.79, having occupied the basement of $45.27 in mid-July of last year.
Another warrior in the fight against cancer is Boston-based Cellceutix Corp. (OTCBB:CTIX). Cellceutix is focused and rapidly advancing their flagship compound, Kevetrin ™, as a solution to cancers that are proving resistant to standard chemotherapy treatments on the market today.
There was some interesting pre-clinical data in its progress against head and neck cancer when the Cellceutix research team discovered that Kevetrin was demonstrating significant results with fighting specific strains of multi-drug resistant lung, breast and colon cancers. Since then, the company filed a patent application covering Kevetrin and a large number of other related compounds. Cellceutix has completed all required pre-clinical research and has their IND filing for Kevetrin with the FDA scheduled for this quarter and human trials to follow. Recent press releases have announced industry leaders approaching Cellceutix with interest in their unique compounds as the company is now starting to receive an influx of media attention.
CTIX became a publicly traded company in December 2007, having been founded by George W. Evans and Krishna Menon, former senior level employees at Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY).
Even though we are treading a bit off the cancer topic, CTIX is also heavily involved with more than just cancer. Another new development for the Company involves the fight against autism, also very much in the consciousness of families with young children and an area where Cellceutix has found itself in the company of only Novartis (NYSE: NVS, $48.66/share) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE, $14.28/share) as publicly traded companies approaching autism from a different angle than standard therapies.
No one can say for sure what causes autism – creating a sense in these children that they are in a world of their own -- but studies suggest a range of environmental, genetic and physiological factors. And while scientists have not yet determined the cause, they have recently learned more about how the autistic brain works. For example, studies suggest that certain areas of the autistic brain contain lower levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter important in regulating mood and appetite.
CTIX researchers induced autism symptoms in rat pups by injecting a compound into their brains, causing them to develop anxiety over change, as well as a decreased ability of the brain to develop new neural pathways as it learns, and decreased serotonin in portions of the brain. That is to say, their brains looked like those of autistic people.
CTIX researchers then treated the injected rats with a molecule, KM-391. Within 90 days, the rats displayed less abnormal behavior, improved cognitive abilities and normal serotonin levels. CTIX is currently working to secure U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to proceed with human trials of KM-391.
These new developments cannot come at a more opportune time; in the United States, 1% of youngsters ages three to 17 is afflicted with autism spectrum disorder and more children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined. Even so, there is NO drug available on the market today that approaches the core issues of autism.
With President Obama recently earmarking $1 billion for studies extending through 2018, biotechnology companies such as CTIX have recently begun a push to develop compounds seeing both the great financial and humanitarian benefits that can result with the successful development of a compound for autism.
CTIX stock is stuck in the middle of a 52-week trading range that peaked last fall at $1.01 after dipping to 23 cents in February. Soon after the July 4 weekend, the price was around 55 cents, which should get the attention of biotech industry investors on safari for bargains. Let’s not forget before its explosion to nearly $60 in April 2009, DNDN was trading in the area of $2.50 and CELG went on a six year climb from $2.75 to $75 based on positive developments. From an investment standpoint based on the lucrativeness of the biotechnology industry, CTIX is in a prime position with their compounds for their shareholders at this time.
Clearly, cancer is no longer the grim reaper it once was for some strains of cancer; with early detection and better attention by individuals to their own health, cancer more and more resembles a temporary setback to one’s health than the end of the story for some afflicted. Other people are still suffering from strains of cancers for which a solid solution has yet to be found, but with some forward-thinking biotechnology companies (both large- and small-cap) aiming their collective knowhow at cancer’s ultimate demise, there is lots of reason for optimism.
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The author has been compensated ten thousand dollars by the Company in September 2009 and seven thousand five hundred dollars in June 2010 for its efforts in presenting the CTIX profile on its web site and distributing it to its database of subscribers as well as other services. For a full TOOT profile, investors are encouraged to click here: http://www.allpennystocks.com/aps_us/company_spotlights/archives/ctix.asp.
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