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JMP Securities Director of Research Liisa Bayko on pharmaceutical companies investors should consider despite the uncertainties related to the health-...
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-- closely right now.
We also have to watch biotechnology.
More than a few Biotech CEOs are warning that uncertainty is their very worst enemy and like many investors.
They're counting down the minutes until that Supreme Court rules this Thursday.
On president Obama's health -- law -- of Safeco is the for talk is now the time to really be getting your hands into these even -- we don't know the outcome because once the outcome happens is -- to wait.
Outlook thanks for having on us -- -- really appreciate it.
Yeah I mean we're waiting obviously for Obama -- you know their decision on Obama care to come by Thursday.
And health care is unique as you know you'd think about the fact that they have expenses just like everybody else and so obviously that would be helpful.
You know to them to have -- Obama care may be transformed but these companies also generate a lot of revenue.
And so you know through having you know.
Obama camp places I think there's two aspects that the short term benefit of may be producing expensive but the longer term considerations.
With you know the revenue coming from health care so there's almost a bifurcated opportunity here depending on which way that's the big worry that depending exactly and so.
You know it seems like at this point there's consensus around the fact that the individual mandate will go away but what -- -- -- concentrating on as well.
You know the lifetime caps -- -- the pre existing conditions will those be capped and law or not I think either way actually.
The -- come is already said that they would keep some of those it pre existing conditions in place regardless.
And in addition I'm summing up other aspects definitely you know fact that many patients -- people think about pharmaceuticals they think Merck Pfizer Bristol-Myers -- if you look at four different names that are a little more specific and I want to put through them because.
You've done the research you know why you like these names let's start with vertex ticker symbol VR TX.
What is so special about this when I know they have the cystic fibrosis drug that's gotten a lot of attention to exactly so I -- it look at you know names that really.
Are kind of supersede Elvis Obama care stuff discussion exactly and and so this is really one of those names because it's a name that really has a major impact in other drugs have a major impact on the way patients are treated.
As cystic fibrosis something that a fact that's a rare disease but it does affect about 8000 patients worldwide about half of those are in the US.
And right now the symptoms of -- that are really managed.
By drugs but none of the drugs really address the underlying conditions of the disease underlying reason the -- as you know ongoing.
And so.
Vertex really took a leap of faith they tried to approach actually overriding the individual mutations are causing cystic fibrosis with some very novel approaches.
And this is as high risk but the reward is also going to be very high it's like it and they've already proven some efficacy with an -- analysis thirty have one drug on the market for a small population cystic fibrosis.
And we're waiting for final confirmation -- for that application a large.
That stock is up 24%.
Over the past year probably in anticipation of that one.
Raptor pharmaceuticals of this -- a smaller market caps we always like to point that out because sometimes they tend to.
Have a wild gyrations since -- gotta be really careful about that but looking -- this went down 10% year for year but Sistine no excess.
This is a rare genetic disorder and they're working on -- so I'm getting the sense there's a theme here that you're going for companies that work on.
Slightly rare although I would argue in a lot of people cystic fibrosis but.
Slightly rare diseases but -- nonetheless herself -- -- when you when you target is rare diseases that you not -- the opportunity to beat.
Little off the radar screen a lot of insurance companies except targeting the -- diseases.
With these smaller diseases.
You know you have that it kind of opportunity to be in a pretzel differently you're sort of -- off the radar screen but.
Getting back to raptor today we hosted an event or -- -- -- patients to meet with investors us physically to talk about their disease and in certain diseases like this patients are just.
Big advocates that really.
In -- -- apparently want to clamoring for new treatments and in this case.
-- is also the hard work of patients we actually have a drug but is now from raptor that is just stop being looked up for FDA for approval.
Early in the process but it's very exciting and really could be transformative for -- it puts a face on -- I mean that certainly matters Human Genome Sciences is a name that perhaps as a little more familiar to people is out of two billion dollar market cap that they get the lupus drug that first with the struck to finally be approved -- what fifty years than it was the first drug and interestingly enough that an -- were really -- -- different than anticipated it was thought to be really you know initially was going to be -- really really big market because of the reasons that you know there had -- open and noted drugs approved in fifty years.
Unfortunately.
Given some some research we've done with patients.
Is that they're really just afraid of the -- administration and that requirement to go to the doctor you know on a monthly basis.
We also you know our recently initiated coverage on the -- pharmaceuticals.
Where they're looking at opposite continues formulation meaning you could self administered by a needle which would which would really think overcome some about the hurdles we've seen with them will Lisa thank you your fourth tickets and -- will put all of them up on the FaceBook page we really appreciate you coming here to talk about these names.
And educating us thanks let's elect upbringing -- the patients to discuss the of the real successes there at least -- is of to AMP securities thank -- --
