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Replies to #54905 on Biotech Values
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croumagnon

11/17/07 10:04 PM

#54906 RE: drbio45 #54905

I agree with your PP analysis...

"it appears that they have the best drug to bind to the free copper...It is at least a piece of the alzhiemers puzzle."

This is the part that makes PP exciting as a potential blockbuster. They are currently targeting Wilson disease as an orphan designation, which is not a huge market. However, once approved for Wilson disease, it could very well be used off label for many other indications with documentation as to free copper being partly the culprit, including Alzheimers. Later, I can see the FDA expanding the label for many of these indications also...

Moreover, their Free copper tester, which they have already submitted for marketing, could end up being a blockbuster on its own as a standardized test for Free copper. I also understand that the tester can be tuned for many other metals in the future but I am not sure of that.

"I don't like them doing all these other things though. They don't have the cash right now to pursue them and they need to focus on the short term drivers.
The CEO does make some remarks about ideas he should keep to himself for now."


I also agree with you there. They have an impressive pipeline on paper but they are stretching out too much for such a small company and in danger of losing focus. Moreover, some of their claims may be a bit off the scientific beat. For instance, I agree with Dew that their dry AMD hype is a bit extreme but I think this is partly due to the fact that David A. Newsome, M.D., who is their chief Scientific officer, is an ophtalmologist whose life work seems to be his reseaerch in treating dry AMD with Zinc therapy....

As for their CEO, Kanzer, he does do a song and dance sometimes for Wall-Street but that is not so bad these days for someone to be able to promote the company, even if there is a bit of exaggeration involved. On the other hand, their president, Dr. Bisgaier seems to have good solid scientific credentials and his previous Esperion involvement is nothing to sneeze at...

All in all, I think PP does have a potentially huge future even though the company does some more hyping than they need to...

"I sent this video to some friends of mine and he took his Centrum Silver and threw it out"

Funny you should say that because I also changed my multi-vitamin bottle yesterday from Centrum to one that I picked up at Bread and Circus and is essentially copper free! I guess we all get to become a bit hypochondriacs when dealing with these small biotechs...

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DewDiligence

11/18/07 12:31 AM

#54907 RE: drbio45 #54905

PP is a hotbed of junk science, IMO. They remind me of HEB.

After the longwinded, runaround answer by PP’s CEO to your question on Thursday’s CC, I find it astonishing that you would want to be long.

Then again, you thought HEB was a good company, so perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised you like PP.