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CBS 60 Minutes showed Cytosorb(?), a blood purification cartridge for Covid patients yesterday. I'm guessing it was Cytosorb. Looked like it and about the right size. The report covered on the development of mRNA vaccines and monoclonal treatments for viruses. The cartridge was unmarked, but the narrator said it had been given emergency use approval by the FDA for Covid patients, and had saved 400 very serious ill patients. Does anyone know if this was Cytosorb?
Was a Cytosorb cartridge featured in a Covid video on 60 Minutes yesterday?
With its `80% gross margins, CTSO can be an elite moneymaker and cash cow. The problem is not sales or more government approvals. It is management's desire to constantly "investment spend for the future." Hopefully, last quarter was the worst we will see with the expansion of the headquarters facilities and related cost. This is like living with a spouse who constantly runs a credit card to the limit, and you have to pay the bill. Keep in mind that medical professionals are running this company, not business professionals. They don't particularly care about EPS or P/Es. They should. Perhaps as they get closer to retirement and want to have more money in the bank, it will dawn on them that the "financial health" of CTSO is as important as the work that the company does. If they take their foot off the gas pedal on "investment spending" and manage the company to show its true profitability, the stock price will soar. Each quarterly report, I hope to see signs that this is happening. The best thing would be to replace the medical professionals with business professionals to manage the company from an investor's point of view. At some point, it will happen. Meanwhile, keep your eye on gross margins and where all that profit is spent. This is the key to stock price for CTSO. When P/E shows profitability, the stock price will soar. I have been invested in CTSO since annual sales were $348k, and now it is roughly $40 million and still climbing. The company can sell high margin products. They just don't know how to hold onto profits. Maybe we'll see improvements in Q2.
EYPT on the move today. Big premarket volume, but no news or events found. Any ideas why?
Hot Money Rotation, Nothing Else -- As a long time investor, CTSO is in one of its best positions in the history of the company. Two days ago, a silly article came out comparing this money making company that uses filtration, with its existing and rapidly growing revenue streams, to startup biotechs with little or no revenues and no approved drugs. The SA writer misrepresented the true cope of CTSO. It was written by an amateur investor who believes in looking in a crystal ball to try to figure out if unapproved drug candidate will make a person a zillionaire years from now (but making it seem it could happen in the next few weeks. Good luck with that.) CTSO is the real deal and the product revenue numbers are the proof. This sell off will pass. Real investors, not dreamers, seeking real profits will support CTSO again, especially because 2020 revenues will likely rise 50%-100% and continue climbing from there.
techxen, thanks for another excellent insightful post.
techxen, US physicians have immediate access to research, just as you and I do. I was in a doc/GI specialist treatment room last year when I mentioned a drug he had not heard of. He was at his laptop taking notes during the exam, and immediately keyed in the drug, found studies, scanned them and got up to speed in three minutes, making a decision on treatment indications. All docs need is FDA approval to trigger them into action because finding answers to Covid 19 is that urgent. CytoSorb has some real advantages...no drug interactions, easy to implement, and effectiveness against cytokine storm. ICU docs will figure this out quickly with fast access to an abundance of research, based on scores of investigator studies and published papers all being available online. Besides, the safety of CytoSorb is well documented, too.
eskay1954 - shameful posts. The factory is running around the clock making filters. The fight against Covid 19 is a global war, and CTSO is making bullets. You are a typical short seller, attempting stock manipulation. Please go away. You don't know what anyone is thinking, and your guesses about what the FDA will do is your effort to turn the stock down. Gosh, where do unethical people like you come from? Please, just go away.
Thanks Techxen. I appreciate all the research work you do to keep us current with the Chinese infections and CTSO activities there.
Price Up. Volume Up. Breaking up and through long term down trend. Time to pay attention. 3 million shares traded by 2:30 EST today. This looks like a bullish reversal. Perhaps we finally have good news.
Restatement must be coming out soon. Rising price indicates somebody knows something, or something positive is happening behind the scenes. Current s/p move is a significant change in character of this chart. But there is no news anywhere on the web. Remain alert for public notice. It could be a time ahead to add to position quickly if numbers look good. Checking this one multiple times a day now.
Looks like the CFO just bought another 3,000 shares. That's 3 executive stock buys in the past few weeks. Something up?
Getting Close to Revised Financials release date. Mid December is here. When it happens, the conference call will be extremely interesting and well attended.
SA took down my response. Please post a comment today. Do not let her misleading article go unanswered. There are a series of articles by shorts on CTSO at SA, all unanswered. This hurts the stock. The information is skewed and biased. Note for ammo: about the 10th paragraph from the bottom of her rambling and confusing article about wording, she says the results of the study ARE VALID. I quoted this paragraph in my comment to her, and she had my comments taken down by SA, probably because I questioned her motives in an unkind way. Just poke a hole in her argument, which makes it seem as if no legitimate study has ever proved the effectiveness of Cytosorb.
Dishonest? Hardly. After 4 years as a long shareholder (never short), I am not being dishonest. I am making a point about a continuous pattern by management. Repeatedly, for several years, management has told us that the company would be profitable this year. It hasn't happened, and in fact, management's recent moves have resulted in lower shareholder values. This has happened over and over. You'd think that Chan and company would allow us to realize some profits. For us to enjoy stock ownership and asset appreciation. But instead, suddenly in a proxy statement, management surprises us with a request to double the number of shares. What do you do? You immediately excuse this management move as meaningless, as standard operation procedure, and as nothing to worry about. Okay. That's your opinion. As a fellow long time shareholder, I tell you honestly that this latest ploy concerns me, because it can only lead to lower shareholder values through dilution -- perhaps as much as 50%. I am not being dishonest. Math is math. I am also not a worry wort. I refuse to easily overlook this move by management to decrease shareholder value once again. You know, this is like watching a movie and a gun is on the table in the first scene. You can bet the gun gets fired before the movie is over. In this case, the gun (doubling the number of shares to 100 million) is pointed at us shareholders. I'm sorry if this annoys you. But is the truth. It couldn't be more obvious and it would be wise to be alert and protect your investment.
To your point, 20 days ago, on April 4, the share price closed at $7.78. Right now, at 10:02 am on April 24, the share price is $7.02. Duh. That's a -9.7% haircut. Apparently, you weren't paying attention 20 days ago. Draw a line connecting the tops of a price chart from Feb 25 till now. The share price closed at $8.21 back on that day. The stock has declined 14.5% since then. Forget how much you love this company. It is painful holding this stock right now, and I'm cautious it could get worse, much worse. Go ahead, hold your nose as we sink further under water. Math is math.
Exactly! You are making my point! The reverse split from a few years ago was announced in a proxy statement, just like this current 50 million bump/doubling in shares is announced in the current proxy statement. Don't you see a pattern here? Falling in love with CytoSorb (the product) is not the same as protecting your investment by investing in a company with a stable share value. They are doing financial engineering to us again. Now is the time to be careful. And, honestly, I know how you feel because none of us wants to be disappointed by CTSO. But it is hard to trust this management team when it comes to share value. We can't even get through 2 quarters in a row without some negative financial surprise to share value because of management decisions to push profitability into the distance once again. Hey, good luck. Maybe I am wrong and overly cautious. On second thought...You're right, I shouldn't be concerned that the company suddenly wants to double the number of shares, potentially cutting the value of my shares in half. Silly me. I apologize for bringing the subject up.
Math is math. Dilution is dilution. According to their own document, there are currently 50 million shares, and they want to double the number of shares to 100 million. Ask yourself why? You two assume a lot. According to Waterhouse, about 32 million shares are in the float. That leaves 18 million on the shelf. Maybe these numbers are not exact, but close enough. CTSO wants to increase the number of shares on the shelf to about 68 million, which is 2x the number of shares in circulation. There is something going on we don't know about. This is not some "insurance policy." I've been invested in CTSO since their annual sales were 360k. Boy, have they come a long way. The products are great! But management is full of financial surprises, including, the surprise reversal split of a few years ago, the intermittent cash raises from time to time, and most recently, the surprise, "oh, gee, we told you CTSO would be profitable this year, but we decided instead to increase our direct sales organization" which brutalized the P/E and sunk our shares once again. Phil and Kathleen love to play with our value. Now suddenly, they need another 50 million shares on the shelf, and your antenna isn't vibrating? I'm still invested, but not at the same exposure level as I was two days ago. I have no agenda...I am a long term holder, and I have learned not to be too trusting of this management team when it comes to shareholder value. Be careful. GL.
Dilution is dilution. Doubling the number of shares results in half value of current shares. Something is up. Be careful.
BIG DILUTION COMING - Proxy statement. 50 million new shares. Duck!
Confidential Order allowed contracts with Aferetica distributors to remain confidential. Easy to check. Missing doc titles are listed in 10k filing, but not available for public viewing. Ordinary business stuff.
The Data Were Good...why the sell off? I've been expecting solid progress and the preliminary data support continued research. Am I missing something?
Lakers, you are not a bad guy but you are focusing on the wrong things. Accept the fact that Cytosorb is efficacious. It is in use daily in dozens of countries. It has been proved to work in numerous indications. There is a single hospital in German buying $1 million in product annually. Because it works. On the other hand, the FDA is stodgy, clueless, numb and dopey when it comes to something other than giving a patient a pill or a shot. The FDA is "additive" meaning they keep thinking that the only way to solve a medical issue is to put something else in the patient. Cytosorb is substractive. It takes bad actors out of the body. The FDA doesn't easily get this concept, except for dialysis. Go figure. If you keep focusing on the FDA, you miss the opportunity with CTSO. This company is growing without the FDA. If you are dead set on the FDA approving Cytosorb, come back in a year or two. Meanwhile, this company simply continues to grow sales, revenues, expand to new countries, increase its global patient population base, save lives for a host of important illnesses, etc. IMHO, focus on international sales and buy on the dips.
Excellent entry point or add to position now. Patience is very important as this company will be a long term winner. It has been already. Been here 5 years. Bought and sold blocks of this stock, and held a core position for a long time. Seen this all before. The product is excellent, with long term growth in its favor. Reorders remain strong, with long term users increasing purchases. New orders come "over the transom" - meaning very little selling is required as docs share their successes because Cytosorb works so well. Growth has been a consistent pattern for several years. Significant increase of "human uses" of the product continues to be the proof of the pudding. Plus, excellent prospects exist for FDA approval for cardiac surgery, perhaps next year. With FDA initial approval, expansion of off label indications is highly likely. You can't hold back this product. It is this good. This market-wide sell off has nothing to do with Cytosorb or the company. It has everything to do with global macroeconomics, politics, trade disputes, FDA normalizing rates, etc. My advice: keep a vision clear. Own shares, and take a walk, read a book, go fishing, do something else. The current soft market is only a distraction.
Another good quarter. Machine sales plus accessories look good. International markets show great promise. TRXC is on track.
Good way to make +46% minimally. AVGR is way oversold. This sleeper stock will easily beat last quarter's numbers and should rise toward the private placement price in mid 1.60s after the upcoming quarterly report. At current prices while I write this of $1.13, the gain will be at least 46%. PR stories have indicated AVGR is selling the new systems, and whoever bought the bundle of private placement shares knows this is the trend. AVGR should continue to improve for several quarters. Sure, I could be wrong. But this seems obvious, given the advances in AVGR technology, the growing need of baby boomers for cardiac procedures, and the long history of AVGR in this sector. They've got the contacts and are selling in.
Polyphemus, thanks for the excellent information.
Blackngold, could the ARTH's internal products prevent adhesions? A big problem for a family member is rapid internal adhesion growth following surgeries. They have caused intestinal blockages. Docs say this is not uncommon. Could ARTH's new class of products prevent adhesion growth, but simply seal wounds and incisions? Just wondering if you know...thanks
Docs know and reps know the pricing is wrong. Hello, analysts, are you listening? Al, this pricing/insurance situation is akin to having two runners. Management thinks their Trulance runner is faster and better, and will win the race no matter what. So they put a backpack filled with rocks (higher pricing) on their guy just to prove to the world he is the better runner. Why not flat out win the race against Linzess, even up, so there is no disadvantage with 3rd party payers? This is something SGYP can control. Maybe during the next conference call, an analyst will ask these kind of questions. These dummies could save perhaps $120MM a year in marketing expenses. Who knows, even the board might be awake and listening this time around.
Excellent Drug...Waiting For Management To Reprice Trulance and Smarten Up. Trulance is superior to all other drugs and medications for IBS-C. Sadly, I have been watching a two year journey of a close family member including impactions, blockages and perhaps four unnecessary operations. This experience has provided a bellyful of first hand knowledge of this subject. Linzess was a horrible experience. Side effects caused 8 lb drop in weight in two weeks, with inability to eat because of so much gas buildup, cramps and vomiting. GI docs wanted to prescribe Trulance instead, but insurance protocols required Linzess first, plus every other method to be tried before Trulance could be prescribed. Even then, the insurance co called us for approval of the higher cost which didn't matter to me. But it showed how many hoops a patient has to jump through to get Trulance. Weeks and months of pain resulted from SGYP's mispricing. When finally, Trulance was prescribed, the improvement was immediate. She is in second week of Trulance now and already 3 lbs regained, eating again, and intestines working. If Trulance was simply repriced $1 below Linzess, GI docs would abandon Linzess, and all the roadblocks to its financial success would be removed. Why is management spending $35MM a quarter to over come this? The number of scripts would soar. GI docs know this drug and experience with patients has proved to them its efficacy with no discomfort. SPYG Management is just plain stupid and greedy, which we all have witnessed. It's egotistical to want a higher price, when Trulance could own this category and be the instant leader. It's that good. Management is that bad. I sold before the annual meeting, but just bought it back. The chart is crawling on the bottom now. There is real value in Trulance.
Stock movement is unusual. Maybe something positive happening in Japan? Anyone know?...
allenupl, you make good points. Sure, it is appropriate that Zacks discloses that they are getting paid. I see Zacks quarterly round ups as a PR assignment to raise the visibility of CTSO. A tiny company like CTSO is wise to buy this service. But beyond that, there is also the additional layer that Zacks takes no position on CTSO if you should buy or hold it. Sure, there is a price target in Marxx's pieces, but it never tells you when that number is expected. The future is infinite! Plus, as you know, the Zacks rank system is intended to guide its members on good stocks to buy and bad stocks to sell. CTSO is not included in the Zacks ranking system. To me, this recognizes that Zacks is purposely avoiding any possible conflict of interest. But, again, I am agreeing with you, perhaps even more so, that each investor needs to keep his or hers eyes open constantly. Don't ever rely on a single source of information, and read everything about a company. To me, most importantly, analyze charts for proper buy and sell points. Lastly, trust no one, even your friends. As my high school buddy Ben Franklin advised, "Keep your own counsel." (Sadly, Ben passed 200+ years ago, but I'm still chugging.) GL, allenupl.
As a long time Zacks subscriber, I think the reports are honest and helpful. Generally, Zacks research reports are broadly based on a compilation of all the subscribing analysts who want to know what other analysts are thinking. Subscribing analysts get compiled reports back in return. As for CTSO's coverage by Zacks, it is developed by an in-house Zacks analyst. IMO, it is a fair explanation of the company's current condition and outlook. Zacks is not responsible for the decisions of CTSO management, its weaknesses nor strengths. I've been a CTSO shareholder for years and I'm patiently waiting for profitability, broad acceptance globally and in the US, and an expanded product line. These are things CTSO management have told us they will deliver. Zacks reports have reflected both the current results and management's stated goals, just as other analysts report. I've written to Brian Marxx in the past, too, and he has always responded. And here is an interesting fact. Zacks as a company does not provide any recommendation for this stock, as it does for thousands of other stocks. It is completely neutral on owning CTSO.
Pow, I think Pears is right. The chart formation is has paused in a support zone, with signals that it is oversold and ready to reverse back up. Yes, Pears, a ride up now looks possible. My target between 6.50 and 7. However, I agree with Pow about the first quarter. Yes, maybe CTSO will turn down again. Who knows? Anything can happen because the technology is good, revenues are accelerating, balance sheet is okay, management is steady but stodgy and a tad unfocused. Perhaps you are both right. My advice: hold a core position for long term, trade some for short term. Now is the time to trade it.
Hit Job articles like the one in Seeking Alpha are always a risk. Did you notice that the author has no name? Also, if you look at the list of articles by this author, every one is a hit job intended to drive stock prices down. This short seller is using Seeking Alpha to further his short positions. Nothing more. Articles like this are the risk to long investors. It's hard to invest when phantoms with hidden identities can write anything they want, with no fact checking, no editors overseeing their work, and no opportunity for rebuttal by the company.
Paulness, finally, a very clear, concise outcome that CTSO and all of us have been waiting for. Hopefully, DC will focus on this and follow through with real determination. Step on the gas, Dr. C! Perhaps the FDA would fast track a multi-center study, given the seriousness and growing number of patients in need.
Pears, thanks for your look at this. Yes, there are a lot of open questions, but your overall view of the potential here syncs with mine. Usually, there is an interim report at 6 months and the full trial runs for a year. I'm unsure how Multistem is curative for stroke victims. One of the things that occurs to me, as a layman, is some type of cell "replacement" or "regeneration" with the infusion of fresh stem cells after a stroke. I understand the inflammation being lowered, but I think something more is happening, a type of healing that occurs similar to when stem cells are applied to a burn victim to regenerate skin and reduce scarring. The fact that MultiStem is tolerated as an infusion...and this is approved by the FDA for trials...seems very impressive. What else could this technique be used for? Very intriguing indeed. As for management, it seems focused and steady. When the pilot ischemic stroke trial results came in, the first criticisms were that the primary end points were not met at six months. But management was astute enough to realize that there was important evidence that for the 30+ hour group was improving. The trial was continued and at 1 year, this group has a major recovery. This is when I got interested in ATHX. The CEO is very focused and maybe a little difficult in making deals with potential partners. We may need a cash raise. But if the Japan trial goes well, then partners may be standing in line to infuse cash. Thanks again for looking at this. I have a core position, and I'm trading around it as the charts suggest. It's okay to buy some here and hold. ATHX is now getting some press, which will likely push the price up as trial progress is announced. - CARS
Pears, actually I agree with you, cost notwithstanding. The greatest failing of CTSO to date is failure to achieve approval in the US. The cardiac surgery pathway certainly is the most promising avenue, likely with far lower cost for trials and less risk than sepsis. I was against the sepsis pathway and spending 25 million on it. But for cardiac surgery, I'm 100% in favor of CTSO spending anything to obtain FDA approval for this indication. The sepsis pathway was fraught with problems, particularly since the diverse reasons and age groups that contract sepsis. The cardiac surgery patients are much more defined and thus measurable and analyzed. If I were CEO, nothing would stand in the way of moving the next steps forward on cardiac surgery. Once CytoSorb is in hospitals, docs would begin using it off-label for sepsis and other indications.
The 10-q, page 14, is incredible. All the current FDA trials, with so much history behind them, provides a good snapshot of where this company is headed. Especially the stroke trials. It's hard to believe that ATHX hasn't found a US partner yet, considering the aging population, the prior successes with MultiStem treatment in trials, the FDA fast tracking their approvals, and the unmet needs this treatment would serve. Plus, if I was the victim of a "sneaky stroke" showing up the next day at the hospital, I'd want MultiStem to be available. Who wouldn't? Nothing else is available to help after 4 to 6 hours post stroke. Someone like J&J or Novartis should jump into this. Everyone is looking at CAR-T and genomics right now. It's a classic case of looking in the wrong direction. All the evidence is in place that this is a high potential opportunity for a market that isn't going away. With research showing people in their 30s-40s are having strokes, awareness of the potential of MultiStem could garner new interest. Who knows, maybe 60 Minutes will surprise us all some Sunday evening with a feature on new stroke treatments. This is too important not to happen. Helios has got it right and may have bigger plans than anyone suspects. Their contract with ATHX looks like they want greater control and access to MultiStem. Helios wouldn't be the first foreign company to enter the US market through a smaller acquisition.
Pears, I agree about the transplant development. But it could be a while before any income is generated. I was more interested in how Italy's sales were growing, which has never been broken out. Are they on a similar track as Germany's growth path was years ago? I am a patient investor, as I have been with CTSO and ATHX. Only small companies that have unique products survive and thrive, but the process of approvals can take years to generate revenues. Usually, only a dedicated, focus management team has the persistence, drive and vision to do it. You've pointed this out many times. Distractions are killers. Instead of hearing about one more "new" initiative, I'd rather hear that the Phase II Cardiac Surgery Trial is underway from DC. That will light this stock up. All the cardiac centers are in place. What's the hold up? Too many other balls in the air?