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Does anyone feel this stock will go up again, even if it is in the mid 20's? If so, what do you think will be the moving factors?
Just an update. Hope it is the start of more good things to come.
Hemispherx to Present at the Marcum Microcap Conference in New York
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/hemispherx-present-marcum-microcap-conference-123000610.html
HEB
From what I have read and my understanding of the article, they received approval of their application for Orphan Status meaning they are more likely to get grant monies or other sources of income to continue research for EVD and Ampligen. While this is good news, it will take a while for the research and trials to be completed, although at a faster rate. So, I think once the drug itself is approved, this will take off. Until then, I think patience is needed. If I am wrong on any of this, please let me know what your take is on the article.
HEB
Thanks r2g2.
I'm still kind of new at some of this. Is it a real positive that the company Midtown Partners initiated coverage on shares of HEB? They claim to have a "strong buy rating with a price target of $1.45." Is HEB starting to catch someone's attention or is this not as meaningful as I think it is? Thanks.
HEB
The only thing I could find was a list of speakers who presented at the conference. Here is the link:
http://www.filovirus2015.com/#!confirmed-speakers/c1n9a
The speaker for USAMRIID, which Hemispherx said the presentation would be in collaboration with, is on the list. As to whether or not the title listed has anything to do with HEB's research... Still looking.
HEB
The market was in the red today and HEB was green... Gotta like St. Patty's day :)
HEB
Hopefully, slowly but surely....
http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2014/11/17/ampligenr-blocks-critical-ebola-viral-disease-evd-protein-which-linked-high-mortality-man#axzz3JMXfIQsa
Any thoughts?
HEB
Still trying to keep current with the latest articles.
http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/ebolawatch-darpa-offers-researchers-ez-money/81250573/
Latest article I could find regarding HEB.
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/globenewswire/10107278.htm
Latest one on Ebola.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/10/ebola-cases-sierra-leone-sharp-rise
And this one, very sad
http://news.yahoo.com/liberia-village-becomes-ebola-epicenter-102427025.html
The media in general have been told not to report news about ebola... might cause panic.
Where the virus was supposedly under control...
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/04/ebola-outbreak-sierra-leone
and people getting desperate for food...
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/thousands-break-ebola-quarantine-find-food-sierra-leone-n241016
This is far from being under control. Again, hope a vaccine or treatment is found soon.
HEB
Thanks Sport... I can't PM because I'm not a paying member, but good luck to you too!
Sounds like putting out brush fires. You get one under control and then it flares up quickly someplace else.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29870009
And then there is the reality of the fight with vaccines etc.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-29613902
Another article that mentions HEB.
Ebola lobbying hits Washington
By Kimberly Railey
krailey@dallasnews.com
10:55 am on October 30, 2014 | Permalink
WASHINGTON — Ebola lobbying is going viral in Washington.
Over July through September, more than 15 groups cited the disease in lobbying reports filed with the Secretary of the Senate’s Office of Public Records. The organizations include drugmakers, hospitals and health professional associations, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which noted the lobbying trend.
Cerus Corporation, which is seeking compassionate use approval of its anti-viral blood treatment technology, has spent $20,000, the reports indicate. Zimek Technologies, which has touted its disinfecting system for hospital rooms, also shelled out $20,000.
Another company, Hemispherx BioPharma, brought on the firm Squire Patton Boggs to “to bring our experimental drug Ampligen and FDA approved drug Alferon online as potential therapeutics for Ebola,” according to a statement provided to Politico.
Last month, Congress approved $88 billion for Ebola drug research as part of a short-term spending bill. There aren’t any drugs or vaccines approved to treat the disease in the U.S., but several experimental drugs have been used.
Another company, Sanford Health, has been lobbying on “issues related to [the] Ebola outbreak, including education, research and funding needed for treatment,” according to the filings.
Other organizations that listed Ebola in the reports include Sarepta Therapeutics, which is pushing for fast-track approval of its experimental Ebola treatment, and ONE Action, U2 singer Bono’s advocacy group.
Just a good read. Hope it leads to helping in someway as either a vaccine or treatment for this terrible disease.
http://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/hemispherx-biopharma-reports-new-evidence--based-potential-of-ampligenr-against-ebola-virus-diseas-20141030-00765
Only time will tell.
Thank you for the post. Since neither drug is currently approved for treatment of Ebola, I agree with your perspective that they will be needed in the future when the trials are over for the promotional part. I also agree that if they had more voices for approval with CFS, it would have made a big difference.
$HEB
I have been in this stock for a while and think it will do well. But I don't quite understand the connection between Squire Patton Boggs (lawyers) and Heb. Can anyone please clarify for me? Thanks in advance.
Here's the link to the article about the guy in Texas.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/06/thomas-eric-duncan-ebola-patient-dallas-hospital/16798391/
All of the drugs being used now have gotten emergency experimental approval for compassionate use. If HEB can get one of its drugs to be proven to have any affect on Ebola, it would be fast tracked like the rest. Let's just hope that one of these drugs actually works...
Here is a link to the full article. My thoughts are that until HEB finishes with some type of preliminary tests and has proof that one of its drugs will benefit Ebola patients, the price of the stock will stay about where it is. The only positive that I can see is that if HEB does have something that works, they will be able to produce it much faster as the other companies had small supplies of the drugs but they have been used up treating a few patients. Hopefully, the trials will happen quickly and the results will be positive. JMO
http://fortune.com/2014/10/02/as-ebola-spreads-drug-companies-race-to-develop-treatments/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fortunebrainstormtech+%28Fortune+Brainstorm+Tech%29
Hemispherx Biopharma
Hemispherx Biopharma HEB -4.87% will begin testing two of its existing drugs in partnership with the DoD to see if the drugs can combat the deadly disease. Alferon, one of the drugs, is currently used to treat genital warts caused by the human papilloma virus. The other medicine, Ampligen, is an experimental antiviral used to combat a range of disorders.
They are also working with the DOD to come up with an effective drug, but this will take time. Any thoughts as to where this heads tomorrow? I noticed the AH high was $.45 and is now $.42ish
Here's the answer to your question....
http://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Hemispherx+Biopharma+%28HEB%29+Expands+Ebola+Treatment+Research+Collaborations/9866297.html
With all the positives, why the big drop in price? Do you think it will recover some by EOD?
True. I got the same Alpha article. Problem is the news won't be released until a few months from now to the general public. And docs also won't get that news for a few months until reps can advocate that aspect of B. In the meantime... I think ARNA will have more downs than ups. Any thought as to how low it will go before then?
JMO
I know the acquisition is for the "future". Anyone have any thoughts as to where the pps would be if they didn't make that move?
Investments now are all for the future IMO.
Thanks for the input. Will keep your perspective in mind.
Good point. Hadn't thought about that. I made money from this when it got approved. Sold in the double digits. I thought it would have done better so I bought back in a while ago. To me one of the main problems was Eisai dragging its feet getting this drug off the ground. Maybe one of their other pipeline drugs will start to make some noise. Or Belviq for quitting smoking will catch on.
ARNA
I have other stocks keeping my overall portfolio in the green but this one is killing me... Time to sell me thinks.
This stock is frustrating to say the least. All the reports were good and it is down. Go figure... Sales higher week over week, more publicity out there, more research as to other uses, and a good pipeline. The Street sure doesn't seem to want this to move in the positive.
ARNA
Thank you. I hope the Canaccord Genuity team is right.
http://www.valuewalk.com/2014/07/glu-mobile-inc-gluu-pt-boosted-on-kim-kardashian/
Would be nice to see it back in the 7's.
Anyone have any idea where the bottom might be?
Then what is holding it back?
Could the drop be related to the pr and market manipulation? Someone trying to bring the price down to buy more shares at a cheaper price? Just a thought because nothing is making any sense to me.
Anyone think this will make a difference for the company?
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hemispherx-biopharma-and-bioclones-join-forces-in-effort-to-eradicate-hivaids-virus-based-on-recent-clinical-insights-of-wistar-institute-university-of-pennsylvania-2014-07-08
Maybe reason they are trying to keep price down?
Seems to me that if they are thinking of eradicating HIV, it would be huge. If they are working on this, I don't see the company going bankrupt... JMO
For what it's worth, here is a link to an article I received from Seeking Alpha talking about how this is more of a long term investment. It has some good points to it and puts some things in perspective. I got the link through an email so I hope it works.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/2114813-arena-scripts-ads-sales-reps?isDirectRoadblock=true&uprof=45
For anyone interested, here is the translation of Icebox's link as per Google Translator -
Beijing. Avian influenza H7N9 continues to spread in China. On Friday, the capital of Beijing for months reported for the first time an infection with the pathogen , such as the state television CCTV reported . Alone the East China Zhejiang Province registered since the beginning of more than 40 new patients with H7N9 . In the province in November, in an infection from person to person had been detected for the first time .
However, scientists continue to believe that live poultry of the main carriers of the virus is . "There is no evidence of a sustained transfer from human to human ," the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported. Several cities and towns have banned the sale of live poultry . On Friday , the East China metropolis of Hangzhou banned poultry markets , killed the zoos in the city , strict rules for their birds , and forbade to let fly pigeons.
The virologist Li Lanjuan from a nationwide panel of experts to contain the virus praised the steps . At the same time , the pathogen is already changing . The research team led by Li has already found variations by which the pathogen could more easily adapt to its environment . "This has increased the probability of transmission from person to person , making treatment more difficult ," the researcher Liang Weifeng from the panel said .
Also, health experts worry about the coming week upcoming Chinese New Year worry. To travel the most important holiday of the country millions of Chinese across the country to their families. New Year's Day this year falls on 31 January . Poultry traditionally part of the diet for the feast
This was from a Seeking Alpha article from December 6. I don't subscribe so I could only get the first part of the article.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1882891-belviq-sales-during-the-holiday-week
Sounds like numbers will drop until the beginning of next year.
Disclosure: I am long ARNA. (More...)
If you are invested in Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA) and follow the sales numbers of the anti-obesity drug Belviq, you were well prepared for a Holiday dip in the weekly script numbers. The dip was to be expected, and there will be two more in the next month. Christmas week will be light on sales, as will New Years. After that though, investors should be looking for things to ramp back up.
We now have 25 weeks of sales data on Belviq. The IMS Health numbers reported today show sales took a week over week dip of about 27% for total scripts and a 29% dip in new scripts. For the week ending 11-29-13 the total scripts were just under 3,900 on an unadjusted basis. With my adjustment, IMS script sales were a bit over 4,800. Arena was down 5% yesterday ahead of this news, and down another 3% today upon receiving it. There is a lesson here for readers to consider.
As a reader, you are more well informed of dynamics such as an expected dip in the script numbers. What you need to remember is that 95% of investors do not take the time to be well informed. Thus, even though there is a great reason behind this expected dip, the market will react to the news itself, and not the real reasoning behind it. Savvy investors are informed investors. Rather than be frustrated with this dip, consider it an opportunity and lesson. Take this knowledge and anticipate what will happen during Christmas week and New Years week. Believe me, active traders will.
The title of the article is "New weight-loss option". It was written by Joan Verdon of The Record.
Woodcliff Lake-based pharmaceutical company Eisai Inc. has developed and marketed drugs to treat breast cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease, but its newest product targets a medical condition that has been called America's fastest growing epidemic - obesity.
This summer, Eisai - pronounced A-Zigh - began selling a prescription drug, Belviq, which has been approved as a weight-loss aid. The drug triggers serotonin receptors in the brain to create a sensation of fullness, or satiety in patients causing them to eat less. The drug is intended only for patients who are obese - with a body mass index of 30 or greater, or overweight, with a body mass index of 27 or higher, and other health risks such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
The drug went on sale June 7, and the company is averaging about 4,000 prescriptions a week.
Woodcliff Lake is the headquarters for the North and South Americas divisions of Eisai Co., its Japanese parent company, which has operations in 34 countries. The parent company had sales of $6.9 billion for fiscal 2012, which ended March 31, 2012. It employs some 500 people in Woodcliff Lake.
Lonnel Coats, president and CEO of Eisai Inc. since 2010, has been with the company since 1996. He started in the pharmaceutical industry as a sales representative for Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson, after graduating from Oakland University in Michigan, and working in sales for PepsiCo.
Coats, 49, a Mahwah resident and father of two teenagers, spoke with The Record about marketing plans for Belviq and issues facing the pharmaceutical industry. [Interview edited and condensed.]
Q. When you were starting out as a sales rep, did you visit doctor's offices?
When I first started out in the industry we would literally go through phone books, because the technology wasn't there to figure out who was the right customer. You just showed up at their offices and talked to them about products.
Q. The sales reps selling Belviq now, will they be doing the same thing, visiting doctors and convincing them to prescribe the product?
It's still the same today. Face to face.
Q. I was wondering if it had changed to more online, or more consumer advertising?
You do all of that, too.
Q. Because you want the patients to ask for it?
Its a combination. Today, patients are much more involved in their health decisions, therefore we have to be part of that conversation when they are searching for information. But nothing replaces the advocacy of a physician who has seen an innovation work for a patient.
Q. Suppose I am a doctor with two minutes to listen to one of your sales reps. What's the pitch? What does Belviq do?
Number one is for patients who are coming into your office, who you have already seen to be overweight and you know they have a co-morbidity of Type II diabetes or hyperlipidemia [high cholesterol], if those patients aren't responding to the current diet and exercise regime, there is an opportunity to use Belviq. Belviq works on the 2C receptor that controls satiety. It helps the patient fee full faster When they feel full, they're able to push themselves away from the table and then allow the diet and exercise to work
Anyone who's overweight, myself included, or having a co-morbidity, such as Type II diabetes, they don't want to overeat. Something has happened that their ability to control that has been lost.
Q. When you say myself included, are you a Belviq candidate?
To be frank with you, I wanted to take it. I have a body mass greater than 27, but no co-morbidities. My doctor followed the package insert very precisely so 'All right Mr. Coats, you need to increase the exercise and bring down the content, first.'
Q. You have to lose weight the old-fashioned way.
Yes, which is the way we advocate. We don't want a patient who is healthy to go on drug therapy. But if they're at risk, you need to treat them.
Q. So you don't want a teenage girl who wants to lose five pounds taking it?
That's not the candidate we're looking for. In our country there are so may people who have a body mass index greater than 27 with co-morbidities. There are too many young people in our country living with obesity. That's enough of a pool that we think Belviq is appropriate for. We do not recommend people try it because they want to lose a dress size.
Q. You mentioned the pharmaceutical industry being vilified. How so?
The health care in this country has changed. When my father worked for Ford Motor Co., when I was growing up in Detroit, we had the traditional health plan, so when one of us got sick and you had to go to the pharmacy, usually you don't see the price of the drug, because it was all covered in the benefit. Over time, as the cost of health care continued to grow, companies like Ford and others began to try to manage the risk, by capping some of the services, one of those being pharmaceutical. That gave rise to pharmacy benefit management companies that basically say you pay me a flat fee, I'll manage your pharmaceutical portion. The way they did that was to shift cost directly to the employee. So as patients started to see the cost directly, our image took a hit.
Q. What does Belviq cost?
The wholesale cost is about $200 [for a month's supply of 60 pills]. That's the wholesale price and the pharmacy puts its retail price on that. There's no suggested standard in our industry. So at Pharmacy A it can cost $220. At Pharmacy B it can be $275. One of the most outrageous ones we saw was a pharmacy that was charging over $400, double what we sell it for. That's something we have to address long term - how do you have a more transparent system around price in this country.
That's the whole article. Remember, it's an edited version so Arena may have been mentioned elsewhere in the interview. Any comments or opinions?
Got the paper late this morning and have to run to work, but in The Record, there is an article in the business section with the president and CEO, Lonnel Coats, talking about Belviq. He states that they are averaging 4000 prescriptions a week. Will post later when I get home and can fully read the article if there is anything more of interest.
Am I wrong or is something supposed to happen this week on the 25th, 26th? Some kind of discussion from patients who are on Ampligen I think? Thanks in advance.
The FDA does the recommendation. The DEA does the actual classification.