Ayala Pharmaceuticals Inc (ADXS)

[tinfoillurker]

Just shorting is significantly less effective because you're not putting the market to work for you. This is where the offering buys come in -- a "reputable" fund, like Adage in ADXS's case, throws its prior successes in other investments around as a lure.

Retail and smaller funds that have noted their success try to jump on their coattails, which then turns into a self-reinforcing buy loop. This allows them to short from much higher than they initially bought.

https://www.gurufocus.com/ownership/ADXS

In the short interest history chart, the key time period is during the spike in early 2015. Note the short interest rising very rapidly as that transpires, ending with a massive jump in short interest that cements the position and simultaneously drops the price so hard and fast that it kills the buy loop.

Now they're playing with house money and carry no risk. Advaxis can win, lose, or be stuck in the mud for 10 more years and Adage doesn't really need to care. But they may have warrants expiring in summer 2018, so they may (and should) do something to monetize those.