I feel it is time for a little Jerry Treppel hero worship. I was thinking about what a daunting task he assumed several years back to turn around, quite frankly, a terribly run company with an exceptional intellectual property and meager revenue streams.
Soldiering through the rough times of having Lodrane pulled from the shelves, a snails paced FDA approval process, and the pursuance of patents for their intellectual property, must have seemed like extreme tedium for a man of his training and background. Most investment banker types don't root for the underdog. Most investors and even speculators don't root for the underdog either for that matter.
What makes Elite special is that by all accounts, this is a company that should have never made it, but yet, against the odds is now on the brink of something really special. Sure, cash flow positive is great, the launch of more meds to fight obesity is respectable.
But what I am most impressed with is the dedication and determination which Treppel and company have to making a difference in society and leaving a legacy for future generations that hopefully will not have to endure the heartache and pain that comes with substance addiction.
I don't know Treppel's motivation for trying so hard to get this intellectual property to market. Money? Sure, probably a little bit. But there are many, many easier and more lucrative ways to make a buck.
For me, it comes down to passion. It takes real passion to get something like the Abuse Resistant Technology to market. What fuels this passion? Why would he put up $1M of his own money to try to make this a reality? He says he took over Elite to protect his investment. I have always assumed this was financial in nature.
But what if it isn't?
What if the driving force behind this passion is that someone close to him has had a history of drug abuse? Wouldn't you do everything in your power to help that individual? Wouldn't you want to spare other families and friends the same pain and heartache that come with addictions? I would.
Now I am definitely NOT saying that this is HIS motivating force. Of course I could never know that. Never met the guy or talked to him. I just know that their is something deeper there than just trying to make a buck or be "the guy" who helped combat opioid addiction in a real way.
He has had to fight different and seemingly unrelated battles to keep the war on opioid abuse ongoing. Most recently I think of the speedy resolution to the phentermine active ingredient battle.
This was resolved so much faster than I ever believed possible. With the recent approval of Qysmia to a Billion dollar market cap company (Vivus) there was a lot at stake in the business of pharmacy world.
The makers of Qysmia had every right to fight for their new product, which contains phentermine, and would have employed every means necessary to protect their investment. I am sure there were many, many behind the scenes battles waged over the supply of the active ingredient.
Yet once again, Treppel was able to convince the supplier of the active ingredient, that little ole Elite was an account that the supplier would benefit greatly from having. Treppel even ponied up his own cash to make it happen.
I don't invest often. Honestly, when it comes to the market, I am a day trader. I am in and out of stocks in a matter of minutes to hours. But I have parked a LOT of cash in ELTP for over two years now because I believe this is an investment worth having. I also have a passion for the intellectual property that Elite is trying to get to market. I prescribe opioids as part of my dental practice and I have seen first hand the devastating effects that can occur when these meds are abused.
I have received more phone calls from junkies looking for a prescription on my emergency line that I care to count. One of my 16 year old patients was arrested for being the get away driver in a Rite Aid pharmacy oxycontin armed robbery. I have seen many patients who have been through rehab and substance abuse counseling, some of whom stick with the program, while, sadly, others fall right back off the wagon.
The reason I am invested in Elite is that scientifically, sociologically, and financially, I am speculating that Elite is going to make a difference. They are not going to save the world or put their product in every household in America, but they are going to make a difference in what has become a great plague in our society.
And Jerry Treppel's passion, tenacity and expertise are going to get them there.
