Investors Turn Their Attention To Stocks Looking To Lead The Way In Immunotherapies
Cancer has been one of the most destructive diseases for more than a century. Even now, a foolproof treatment for the many variants of cancer has not been created. However, that doesn’t mean that a range of companies aren’t spending billions of dollars on cancer research. If a company does come up with a credible cancer drug, it’s likely to be a big focus of the market. Here are several biotech stocks to watch in their quest to become leaders in immunotherapy.
GT Biopharma (GTBP)
Early, clinical stage companies like GT Biopharma (GTBP) present a number of value propositions for investors. Though many of these companies can hold higher risk due to lack of revenues, incurring high levels of expenses due to research, development, and SG&A, they can also offer higher rewards if early successes are realized.
So far, GT Biopharma has come up favorably with respect to trial results on more than just one of its therapies in the pipeline. Certainly, though the most recent developments with it OXS-1550 could deliver the most near term opportunities.
The company’s previous announcement that it would be working with a “major pharmaceutical company” may suggest that GT Biopharma (GTBP) could be positioning itself for a strategic move at the very least.
Though the “major company” was left nameless, we can infer from comments made by Dr. Daniel Vallera that the “multi-billion dollar oncology drug” is ibrutinib. The statement made in a company press release specifically stated, “We are very excited about our progress with GT’s OXS-1550 (DT2219) combined with ibrutinib, a potent small molecule Bruton Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) inhibitor which is already an established chemotherapeutic agent. We believe combination therapies like these that kill cancer cells based on entirely different mechanisms are the future of cancer treatment.”
Knowing this, we can begin connecting dots to the companies linked to ibrutinib. Its trade name is Imbruvica and is a drug that was developed by Pharmacyclics and Janssen.
Both Pharmacyclics and Janssen are subsidiaries of major pharmaceutical companies; Abbvie and Johnson & Johnson respectively.
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Guardant Health (GH)
Guardant Health (GH) is a company that has made a name for itself in two highly important segments within the cancer treatment industry. The company is involved in producing a liquid biopsy. It is also involved in detecting whether cancer is in danger of repapering in a patient or whether an individual is at risk of developing.
The first market is valued at $15 billion, while the market for the second focus is valued at $18 billion. Additionally, its LUNAR DNA Test product detects cancer at an early stage. It has also given the company a huge boost. The stock has soared by as much as 103% in 2019. That is significantly more than the 2.3% in the industry as well.
Illumina (ILMN)
Illumina (ILMN) is another company that holds a lot of promise. It provides researchers with sequencing and that in turn helps in the fight against cancer substantially. The sequencing products made by the company help researchers in understanding the reasons behind the onset of cancer and the company’s products are also used to diagnostic testing purposes.
The demand for its products have been rising steadily and the company has also completed strategic partnerships to further boost its business. Some of Illumina’s partners include Sysmex, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Loxo Oncology.
Exact Sciences Corporation (EXAS)
As if well known by now, colon cancer is one of the dangerous forms of the disease and accounts for many deaths a year. Patients need to go for colonoscopy in order to get the treatment for colon cancer but it is highly expensive.
Exact Sciences Corporation (EXAS) has come up with a product named Cologuard that is an alternative to colonoscopy and the product has proven to be successful ever since its launch back in 2014. In 2018 alone, Cologuard accounted for $454 million in revenues for the company and in 2019, as many as 334000 people have been tested already.
Q1 2019 revenues went up by a whopping 79% year on year. In addition to that, it is the only FDA approved product of its kind and the company has also entered into a partnership with major drug manufacturer Pfizer. The deal will be in place until 2021.
