Top 2010 Established Biotech Stock Picks for Upside (MNKD, THRX, DNDN, INCY, ILMN, ALNY, GILD, SVNT, AMGN, ONXX, PDLI, OSIP, CELG)
BioHealthInvestor.com wanted to put together a list of key biotech and BioHealth-related stocks that had the most upside for 2010 according to consensus analyst price targets. This is of course no exact science for many reasons, but getting a lot of consensus price targets together is often a sign of at least where to start when looking for upward price targets in stocks. And we all know that BioHealth and biotech stocks often offer the upside of the century as these companies all hold a bit of your own personal lottery ticket in all of their share prices.
After taking a look at our normal universe of biotech and biohealth related stocks. it was obvious that MannKind Corp. (NASDAQ: MNKD) still has the most upside from the consensus price targets IF it is hit. Then in order of expected share price appreciation comes Theravance Inc. (NASDAQ: THRX), Dendreon Corp. (NASDAQ: DNDN), Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ: INCY), and then came Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALNY), and Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD).
The stocks above all had upside of over 25%. The other stocks here are the ‘lower rung’ of upside expectations but are all still offering over 20% upside to the consensus analyst price targets (again IF they are hit). Of the 13 stocks with markets caps of $750 million (or almost $750 million) which we cover, these still had upside of over 20% except a few: Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SVNT), Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN), Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX), PDL BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: PDLI), OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIP), and Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG).
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BioHealth’s Top Stock Moves (AMLN, BMY, DNDN, DEPO, MRNA, ONXX)
Some of today’s top movers in biotech and the world of BioHealth are Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMLN), Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY), Dendreon Corporation (NASDAQ: DNDN), DepoMed Inc. (NASDAQ: DEPO), MDRNA, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA), and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX).
Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMLN) has seen little reaction after an activist investors has exited from the position in Amylin. A weekend SEC filing showed that Eastbourne Capital has liquidated its Amylin stake after having previously held a 9.5% stake. Reports put the reason as frustration with management. The positive read is that this one will no longer have at least one group publicly pushing it. And the bad is that this is a show of force of a loss of confidence. Shares are effectively flat at $14.20.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY) is trading higher this morning after Goldman Sachs listed it as one of its top candidates for a drug merger out there. Be advised that after a 1.2% gain to $22.75 today this one has a market cap of some $45 billion. Even if a billion isn’t what it used to be and even if a foreign buyer might perceive a 20% currency discount opportunity today, that is a very large number.
Dendreon Corporation (NASDAQ: DNDN) is running again on new solid board member additions to help it transition from an R&D company to a manufacturing company. These are Ian Clark, the CEO of Roche’s Genentech unit, and Pedro Granadillo, a former Eli Lilly (LLY) manufacturing executive. These are viewed as top brass to help the company transition from pre-revenue into a revenue generator (when and if its PROVENGE gets approved). Shares are up almost 8% at $29.58 on over 3 million shares as of 11:30 AM EST.
DepoMed Inc. (NASDAQ: DEPO) has been hit very hard on mixed news that its Phase III clinical data for its menopausal hot-flash treatment Serada was a disappointment. The study for hot flashes drug met only 1 goal at 12 weeks. Despite the results, Depomed remains hopeful about the program and said it plans to discuss these results with the FDA. It seems as though that traders are shooting DepoMed first and may or may not ask questions later. Around 11:30 AM EST we have seen 6.9 million shares, and DepoMed is down over 38% at $3.90.
MDRNA, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) is trading up substantially higher on news that UsiRNA reduces tumor growth in vivo, where the company showed data demonstrating continued progress in the advancement of its oncology program. MDRNA’s UsiRNAs is delivered by the company’s DiLA2 platform that showed subsequent reductions in tumor growth in models of liver and bladder cancer. Shares are up 29% at $1.60 on over 5.5 million shares.
Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX) has been one of the long-standing stocks in the rumor mill that has been noted as a possible buyout candidate. Today the company made a deal of its own and shares are up despite the notion that acquirers usually trade off. Onyx signed a definitive agreement to acquire Proteolix, Inc., a privately held biotech focused on discovering and developing novel therapies that target the proteasome for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The deal is valued at $276 million, but could ultimately end up being worth some $851 million. Onyx shares are up 7% at $28.81 on over 3.3 million shares.
JON C. OGG
October 12, 2009
Price snapshots all taken as of 11:30 AM EST
Sepracor: A Thought Of A Higher Price… (SEPR, CBST, ONXX, GERN, VNDA, REGN, SGEN, ALNY)
It is common that when mergers are announced that some shareholders are either unsatisfied or want more. Sepracor Inc. (NASDAQ: SEPR) and its proposed $2.6 billion sale to Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. might not be enough to satisfy everyone involved in the shareholder side of the deal. That is the case if you read a Bloomberg report from Tuesday night and this could be the first of many such suits.
It appears that the allegations are that the terms of the merger are detrimental to shareholders because of a break-up fee and shopping provisions. This is an effort either to block the merger or to secure a higher price and better terms. So here is how the $23.00 stacks up… It was a 27.6% premium to the September 1 price, but was a 48% premium to the 6-month average.
This deal does make-whole anyone who bought shares over the last year. But it comes with a huge hit for many investors who have been in it for the long-term. From the end of 2004 to mid-2007 this was generally a $40 to $60 stock. Then it was a $30 stock and the stock was in the low $20’s to $30 for most of the period from mid-2007 to mid-2008.
If you look at the deal on a valuation basis, it seems very cheap. The Thomson Reuters figures for 2010 are $2.91 EPS and $1.26 billion in revenues for 2009 and $2.99 EPS and $1.31 billion in revenues for 2010. In short, The company is selling for less than 8-times a blended earnings estimate and just over 2-times revenues for a blended time horizon.
Any time a merger is seemingly based upon a 52-week high, it is hard to feel too sorry for investors. At least until you start looking at the multiple of earnings being so low. We screened recently for all of the low P/E stocks in drug and biotech and there are still many other low P/E multiples in there.
We also are putting together another piece right now containing the following stocks as merger candidate discussions:
- Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CBST)
- Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX)
- Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN)
- Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNDA)
- Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN)
- Seattle Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: SGEN)
- Alnylam (NASDAQ: ALNY)
JON C. OGG
SEPTEMBER 9, 2009
More Biotech/Drug Mergers Coming? (SEPR, CBST, ONXX, GERN, VNDA, REGN, SGEN, ALNY)
This week came a merger of at least one of the drug and biotech players we expected to occur. That was in Sepracor (NASDAQ: SEPR). We will be putting together a list of much more detailed picks in teh sector this coming week.
Some of these are our own picks which we think should be acquired, and some are current biotech-drug targets which others feel are on deck. To see the full deal on how this related, BioMedReports.com has a full breakdown on teh Spreacor terms and we used this for determining value on some of our other picks….
Among the picks being presented in detail next week are as follows:
Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CBST)
Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX)
Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN)
Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNDA)
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN)
Seattle Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: SGEN)
Alnylam (NASDAQ: ALNY)
Have a great weekend and stay tuned for the full details on these and others next week.
JON C. OGG
SEPT. 4, 2009
Why Onyx Pharma breast cancer data took the Street by surprise (ONXX, GSK, DNA)
Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX) and partner Bayer Healthcare announced Wednesday an unexpected Phase II trial result for Nexavar in combination with chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer patients. More trials are likely, but the seemingly new opportunity in the very large breast cancer market is captivating the Street.
The company’s randomized Phase II trial of Nexavar in combination with chemotherapy met its primary endpoint of statistically significant progression-free survival extension, as compared to a placebo. The company expects to offer complete data from the study at a yet-to-be-determined scientific meeting.
More trials are likely, as only 299 patients were in the Phase II trial. Another larger trial will likely have to be organized. Also, the extension of progression-free survival was about four months; scientists and analysts may want to see better efficacy than that in a Phase III.
Existing markets for Nexavar are in liver and kidney cancer. It was known that Onyx was looking at Nexavar for a potential treatment for patients with breast cancer, as well as melanoma. But analysts were not expecting the Phase II trial results in breast cancer so soon.
The reason the stock is up roughly 25 percent in early trading is that progression-free survival is one of the keys to getting a cancer drug on the market. And breast cancer is the No. 1 cancer in women, with an expected 192,370 cases this year, according to the National Cancer Institute. It is second in total number of cancer cases only to prostate cancer in men.
Breast cancer may represent a way for Onyx to diversify, especially since new competitors may be coming in the liver cancer market. GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK), in particular, poses a potential market share threat with its candidate pazopanib.
There are many existing breast cancer drugs, with the leader being Genentech Inc.’s (NYSE: DNA) Herceptin. It blocks chemical signals that can stimulate breast cancer growth. Expected sales are $4.4 billion in 2009.
But Herceptin, like virtually all drugs in the class, does have side effects. Flu-like symptoms are common in 40 percent of patients who take it. And some patients have had lung problems, as well as a drop in heart function.
In cancers that Nexavar is approved to treat, a rare but serious effect reported in studies was heart problems and heart attacks.
In addition to how well it works, the safety data in late-stage trials may be important to potential Nexavar adoption in breast cancer. Even without outstanding efficacy, it may become an option for patients that are not good candidates for existing drugs.– Mike Tarsala
Med-Bio Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (BMY, EHTH, IMCL, BABY, NUVA, ONXX, OSIP, ZMH)
These are some of the analyst calls that have been seen in medical and biotech this Friday morning:
- Bristol-Myers (NYSE: BMY) raised to Outperform at Bernstein.
- EHealth (NASDAQ: EHTH) Raised to Overweight at Thomas Weisel.
- ImClone Systems (NASDAQ: IMCL) Started as Overweight at Thomas Weisel.
- Natus Medical (NASDAQ: BABY) Started as Buy at UBS.
- NuVasive (NASDAQ:: NUVA) Raised to Overweight at Thomas Weisel.
- Onyx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ONXX) Started as Market Weight at Thomas Weisel.
- OSI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: OSIP) Started as Overweight at Thomas Weisel.
- Zimmer (NYSE: ZMH) Downgraded to Market Weight from Overweight at Thomas Weisel.
Jon C. Ogg
June 27, 2008
