Friday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

REXAHN PHARMACEUTICL [RXHN.OB] +21.74%
XTL BIOPHARMACEUTICA [XTLB] +19.19%
OXIGENE INC [OXGN] +9.01%
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS [CORT] +8.89%
NORTHWEST BIOTH NEW [NWBO.OB] +8.44%



Diagnostic Substances

ASPENBIO PHARMA INC [APPY] +11.30%
EPICEPT CORPORATION [EPCT] +4.55%
INTERLEUKIN GENETICS [ILI] +4.39%
NEOGEN CP [NEOG] +2.96%
ICAGEN, INC. [ICGN] +2.56%



Drug Delivery

ALKERMES INC [ALKS] +3.95%
DELCATH SYSTEMS INC [DCTH] +3.76%
ARADIGM CORP [ARDM.OB] +1.53%
ELAN CP PLC ADR [ELN] +1.06%
QUIGLEY CORP THE [QGLY] +0.98%



Drug Manufacturers

AVANIR PHARMACEUTICL [AVNR] +7.00%
NEUROLOGIX INC [NRGX.OB] +5.83%
PHARMAXIS LTD ADR [PXSL] +5.68%
CARDIOME PHARMA NEW [CRME] +3.17%
NEXMED INC [NEXM] +3.12%



Drug Related Products

SCHIFF NUTRIT INTL [WNI] +9.91%
PACIFICHEALTH LABS [PHLI.OB] +5.71%
NATROL INC [NTOL] +5.63%
IMAGENETIX INC [IAGX.OB] +3.96%
MANNATECH INC [MTEX] +2.02%



Generic Drugs

CATALYST PHARMACEUTI [CPRX] +10.34%
WATSON PHARMACEUTCLS [WPI] +1.35%
BARR PHARMA INC [BRL] +1.30%
ISOLAGEN INC [ILE] +1.14%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

WORLD HEART CORP [WHRT] +44.07%
RESTORE MEDICAL INC [REST] +10.64%
CRYOLIFE INC [CRY] +9.50%
PATIENT SAFETY TECH [PSTX.OB] +8.80%
REFLECT SCIENTIFIC [RSCF.OB] +8.33%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

ENCISION INC [ECI] +16.67%
MILESTONE SCIENTIFIC [MLSS.OB] +16.13%
NEPHROS INC. [NEP] +14.78%
LEMAITRE VASCULAR [LMAT] +11.70%
OPHTHALMIC IMAGING SYS INC [OISI.OB] +10.29%



Medical Laboratories & Research

INSIGHT HLTH SVC HLD [ISGT.OB] +14.29%
BIO-IMAGING TECH [BITI] +5.98%
RADNET INC [RDNT] +4.34%
BIO-REFERENCE LAB [BRLI] +3.12%
LABORATORY CORP NEW [LH] +1.68%




- Thursday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Wednesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

Thursday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

HEMISPHERX BIOPHARMA [HEB] +16.44%
SEQUENOM INC [SQNM] +15.03%
SINOVAC BIOTECH LTD [SVA] +12.72%
NORTHWEST BIOTH NEW [NWBO.OB] +9.76%
CERUS CORP [CERS] +9.50%



Diagnostic Substances

NYMOX PHARM CORP [NYMX] +5.47%
NEOGEN CP [NEOG] +3.94%
INTERLEUKIN GENETICS [ILI] +3.64%
AVALON PHARMACEUTIC [AVRX] +3.33%
GENELABS TECH INC [GNLB] +3.28%



Drug Delivery

ULURU INC [ULU] +4.35%
COLUMBIA LABS INC [CBRX] +1.93%
INSITE VISION INC [ISV] +1.71%
ACURA PHARMACEUTICAL [ACUR.OB] +1.18%
BENTLEY PHARMACEUTIC [BNT] +0.87%



Drug Manufacturers

TAPESTRY PHARMA INC [TPPH] +24.60%
SIGA TECH INC [SIGA] +16.34%
DUSA PHARM INC [DUSA] +11.39%
ELITE PHARMA INC [ELI] +9.76%
NEURO-HITECH INC [NHPI] +8.62%



Drug Related Products

TIENS BIOTECH GR USA [TBV] +8.11%
PRESTIGE BRAND HLGS [PBH] +4.17%
XELR8 HOLDINGS, INC [BZI] +3.96%
MANNATECH INC [MTEX] +3.93%
ZILA INC [ZILA] +2.70%



Generic Drugs

MYLAN LABS INC [MYL] +4.57%
HELICOS BIOSCIENCES [HLCS] +1.71%
HI-TECH PHARMACAL [HITK] +1.01%
BARR PHARMA INC [BRL] +0.55%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

ROCKWELL MED TECHS [RMTI] +18.45%
NATUS MEDICAL INC [BABY] +9.99%
ENDOCARE INC [ECRE.OB] +6.29%
ALPHA PRO TECH [APT] +5.73%
GIVEN IMAGING LTD [GIVN] +5.71%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

EP MEDSYSTEMS INC [EPMD] +10.56%
ISORAY INC [ISR] +9.71%
NUCRYST PHARMACEUTIC [NCST] +7.51%
XTENT INC [XTNT] +6.79%
STRATEGIC DIAGNOST [SDIX] +6.57%



Medical Laboratories & Research

AETERNA ZENTARIS [AEZS] +4.35%
PREMD INC [PME] +4.07%
ERESEARCHTECHNOLOG [ERES] +2.15%
RADNET INC [RDNT] +2.03%
GENOMIC HEALTH, INC. [GHDX] +0.97%




- Wednesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Tuesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

Wednesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

NPS PHARM INC [NPSP] +18.81%
EMERGENT BIOSOLUTION [EBS] +18.36%
INCYTE CORP [INCY] +13.50%
SINOVAC BIOTECH LTD [SVA] +11.57%
GENITOPE CORPORATION [GTOP] +11.56%



Diagnostic Substances

MERIDIAN BIOSCIENC [VIVO] +6.18%
LEXICON PHARMACEUTCL [LXRX] +4.87%
ASPENBIO PHARMA INC [APPY] +3.72%
AKORN INC [AKRX] +3.45%
IMMUNOMEDICS INC [IMMU] +3.14%



Drug Delivery

ALKERMES INC [ALKS] +7.43%
FLAMEL TECH SA ADR [FLML] +6.41%
COLUMBIA LABS INC [CBRX] +6.15%
QUIGLEY CORP THE [QGLY] +5.71%
EMISPHERE TECH [EMIS] +5.63%



Drug Manufacturers

PROTALEX INC [PRTX.OB] +8.00%
SIMCERE PHARMA ADS [SCR] +7.32%
ALLOS THERAPEUTICS [ALTH] +6.38%
PHARMACYCLICS INC [PCYC] +4.44%



Drug Related Products

CHINA SHENGHUO PHARM [KUN] +25.00%
MANNATECH INC [MTEX] +9.14%
AUXILIUM PHARMACEUT [AUXL] +3.77%
USANA HEALTH SCIEN [USNA] +3.46%
DRAXIS HEALTH INC [DRAX] +3.17%



Generic Drugs

ISOLAGEN INC [ILE] +3.53%
HELICOS BIOSCIENCES [HLCS] +2.94%
BARR PHARMA INC [BRL] +1.88%
CATALYST PHARMACEUTI [CPRX] +1.66%
WATSON PHARMACEUTCLS [WPI] +1.58%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

LECTEC CORP [LECT.OB] +20.00%
ACCURAY INCORPORATED [ARAY] +11.56%
ZYNEX MEDICAL HLDGS [ZYNX.OB] +6.67%
SPAN AMERICA MED S [SPAN] +6.32%
SPECTRASCIENCE NEW [SCIE.OB] +5.26%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

MEMRY CORPORATION [MRY] +8.23%
NUCRYST PHARMACEUTIC [NCST] +5.40%
PROTHERICS PLC ADR [PTIL] +5.33%
CHINA MEDICAL TECH [CMED] +3.74%
NEUROMETRIX, INC. [NURO] +3.71%



Medical Laboratories & Research

NSIGHT HLTH SVC HLD [ISGT.OB] +47.37%
MEDTOX SCIENTFIC INC [MTOX] +7.36%
BIO-IMAGING TECH [BITI] +3.10%
ERESEARCHTECHNOLOG [ERES] +2.73%
QUEST DIAGNOSTC [DGX] +1.18%




- Tuesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Monday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

Tuesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

SEQUENOM INC [SQNM] +16.04%
CERAGENIX PHARMACUTL [CGXP.OB] +13.45%
VIA PHARMACEUTICALS [VIAP] +11.44%
CYTORI THERAPEUTICS [CYTX] +6.43%
CERUS CORP [CERS] +6.24%



Diagnostic Substances

ASPENBIO PHARMA INC [APPY] +25.18%
SYNTA PHARMACEUTICAL [SNTA] +4.47%
LEXICON PHARMACEUTCL [LXRX] +3.25%
NYMOX PHARM CORP [NYMX] +2.81%
AKORN INC [AKRX] +2.59%



Drug Delivery

ACURA PHARMACEUTICAL [ACUR.OB] +9.33%
ELAN CP PLC ADR [ELN] +2.43%
ULURU INC [ULU] +2.27%
PETMED EXPRESS INC [PETS] +1.86%
MATRIXX INITIATVS [MTXX] +1.63%



Drug Manufacturers

PRANA BIO LTD ADS S1 [PRAN] +8.95%
UNIGENE LABS INC [UGNE.OB] +7.89%
MARSHALL EDWARDS [MSHL] +6.87%
ELITE PHARMA INC [ELI] +5.64%
NOVOGEN LTD ADS [NVGN] +5.61%



Drug Related Products

CHINA SHENGHUO PHARM [KUN] +22.53%
CURATECH INDUSTRIES [CUTC.OB] +20.00%
LABOPHARM INC. [DDSS] +11.84%
ZILA INC [ZILA] +3.54%
MEDICAL NUTRITN USA [MDNU] +2.82%



Generic Drugs

CATALYST PHARMACEUTI [CPRX] +5.59%
HELICOS BIOSCIENCES [HLCS] +5.59%
ISOLAGEN INC [ILE] +2.74%
BARR PHARMA INC [BRL] +1.09%
MYLAN LABS INC [MYL] +0.79%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

SIGNALIFE INC. [SGN] +18.06%
IVIVI TECHNOLOGIES, [II] +8.68%
CAMBRIDGE HEART INC [CAMH.OB] +7.62%
ACCURAY INCORPORATED [ARAY] +7.34%
DYNATRONICS CP [DYNT] +6.67%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

INOVIO BIOMED CORP [INO] +18.10%
STEN CORPORATION [STEN] +6.37%
OCULUS INNOVATIVE SC [OCLS] +6.20%
ARISTOTLE CP [ARTL] +5.56%
CRYOCOR, INC. [CRYO] +5.38%



Medical Laboratories & Research

INSIGHT HLTH SVC HLD [ISGT.OB] +18.75%
SPHERIX INC [SPEX] +5.42%
MEDTOX SCIENTFIC INC [MTOX] +3.34%
GENOMIC HEALTH, INC. [GHDX] +2.94%
QUEST DIAGNOSTC [DGX] +1.78%




- Monday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Friday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

Several Lessons to be Learned from Sonus

by Brett Scott
Sizz's Biotech Blog



Sonus Pharmaceuticals (SNUS) announced today that its breast cancer drug Tocosol paclitaxel did not meet its primary endpoints in a phase III trial and, therefore, the company will not pursue a new drug application. The announcement sent shares tumbling some 85% in pre-market trading. I got burned in this one as well, but there are several lessons that we (including myself) can take away from this one.


1: Risk
As I have mentioned before, and as should be pretty common understanding to most investors, development-stage biotech companies carry a lot of risk, and their stocks should only be traded by those that are willing to take on risk. Sonus is very speculative, especially considering all of its future was riding on this one clinical trial.

Investors should be willing to hedge this risk, so that they aren't just gambling. To do that, investors can use options (I suggested using options to play Sonus back in August) or split their speculative money between companies. Option players right now are probably a lot better off than longs. October $5 call options would have cost you $0.90 last week, and losing $90 is a considerable less loss than buying 100 shares at $4.35 and having to sell today at $0.70 for a loss of $365.

Personally, I have my speculative money split between several companies, which included Sonus. I will take a good loss on Sonus, but like I said, it was with speculative money and I was willing to take that risk. However, with my other positions, I have been able to hedge some of that risk because (if I've done my homework right) I will make (or already have made) money on those positions.


2. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is
When I wrote about Sonus in August, there were several factors that made this seem too good to be true. 1) There were few shorts, 2) All the analysts were talking good about it, and 3) The message boards were too positive. Development-stage biotechs, especially ones with data coming out that is going to make-or-break the company should have more people on both sides of the fence. Sonus was dominated with positive sentiment. This is a lesson that I'll definitely take out of this experience.

The positive sentiment was very encouraging, and the fact that I had found Sonus to be undervalued based on my fair value estimation make this a tough one to believe. But it just goes to show, that stock trading is not for the weak and a fair value estimation, is just that: an estimation.



Sizz's Biotech Blog is a regular contributor to BioHealth Investor
_______________

Monday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

XOMA LTD [XOMA] +12.19%
NEURALSTEM INC [CUR] +10.55%
GENITOPE CORPORATION [GTOP] +7.40%
THIRD WAVE TECH IN [TWTI] +7.18%
NORTHFIELD LABS IN [NFLD] +6.40%



Diagnostic Substances

[IMRX] +13.95%
MYRIAD GENETICS [MYGN] +6.75%
ASPENBIO PHARMA INC [APPY] +5.69%
MONOGRAM BIOSCIENCES [MGRM] +4.08%
EZ EM INC [EZEM] +3.79%



Drug Delivery

ACURA PHARMACEUTICAL [ACUR.OB] +6.38%
INSITE VISION INC [ISV] +3.48%
QUIGLEY CORP THE [QGLY] +2.34%
ELAN CP PLC ADR [ELN] +0.80%
ARADIGM CORP [ARDM.OB] +0.72%



Drug Manufacturers

LANNETT COMPANY INC [LCI] +5.99%
SANTARUS, INC. [SNTS] +5.42%
ALEXZA PHARMACEUTICA [ALXA] +4.78%
ACUSPHERE INC [ACUS] +4.61%
JAVELIN PHARMACEUTIC [JAV] +4.31%



Drug Related Products

MANNATECH INC [MTEX] +8.56%
TIENS BIOTECH GR USA [TBV] +5.56%
USANA HEALTH SCIEN [USNA] +4.01%
SCHIFF NUTRIT INTL [WNI] +1.69%
PRESTIGE BRAND HLGS [PBH] +1.27%



Generic Drugs

PHARMACUTICAL CO [PRX] +2.37%
ISOLAGEN INC [ILE] +1.22%
BARR PHARMA INC [BRL] +0.15%
WATSON PHARMACEUTCLS [WPI] +0.06%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

PATIENT SAFETY TECH [PSTX.OB] +26.21%
SIGNALIFE INC. [SGN] +15.20%
SRI/SURGICAL EXPRE [STRC] +9.08%
HANSEN MEDICAL, INC. [HNSN] +7.22%
IVIVI TECHNOLOGIES, [II] +5.81%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

EP MEDSYSTEMS INC [EPMD] +9.43%
MILESTONE SCIENTIFIC [MLSS.OB] +8.02%
ORTHOVITA INC [VITA] +6.76%
VASCULAR SOLUTIONS [VASC] +5.31%
KENSEY NASH CP [KNSY] +5.24%



Medical Laboratories & Research

NATL DENTEX CP [NADX] +9.90%
MEDTOX SCIENTFIC INC [MTOX] +2.15%
PREMD INC [PME] +1.71%
NEOGENOMICS INC [NGNM.OB] +0.75%
SPHERIX INC [SPEX] +0.61%




- Friday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Thursday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

Wall Street Journal 2007 Technology Innovation Winners

by H.S. Ayoub, DMD
BioHealth Investor



The Wall Street Journal announced its annual Technology Innovation Winners of 2007. Here are the winners and runners-up in the Medical/Biotech and Medical Devices categories:

MEDICAL/BIOTECH

Winner:
Novarits (NVS) & Speedel (J6H1.F)
For finding a new approach to lowering high blood pressure. Novartis licensed Tekturna to Speedel to manufacture commercial quantities, then Novartis bought the drug back in 2002.


Runners-Up:
Genaco Biomedical Products, a unit of Qiagen (QGEN)
Using a single test to identify infectious organisms

Shire (SHPGY)
Treatment for Hunter syndrome, Elaprase

Abbott Laboratories (ABT)
Self-injectable treatment for Crohn's Disease, Humira

Schering-Plough (SGP)
Treatment for invasive fungal infections, Noxafil



MEDICAL DEVICES

Winner:

SeQual Technologies
The Eclipse, a 17-pound portable system that can provide concentrated oxygen for therapy.


Runners-UP:

Fonar (FONR)
Upright MRI, with improved imaging for babies, negating use of sedation.

Kyphon (KYPH)
Titanium implate to treat symptoms of lumber spoinal stenosis, X-Stop.





BioHealth Investor.com
________________

Friday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

SIRTRIS PHARMA INC. [SIRT] +14.00%
SINOVAC BIOTECH LTD [SVA] +11.03%
GENETIC TECH SPON [GENE] +10.22%
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS [CORT] +9.84%
LIPID SCIENCES INC [LIPD] +8.85%



Diagnostic Substances

SYNTA PHARMACEUTICAL [SNTA] +10.12%
ORCHID CELLMARK INC [ORCH] +9.36%
ASPENBIO PHARMA INC [APPY] +9.24%
NYMOX PHARM CORP [NYMX] +6.46%
PRESSURE BIOSCIENC [PBIO] +5.60%



Drug Delivery

QUIGLEY CORP THE [QGLY] +17.74%
FLAMEL TECH SA ADR [FLML] +5.71%
BENTLEY PHARMACEUTIC [BNT] +4.12%
ELAN CP PLC ADR [ELN] +3.57%
MATRIXX INITIATVS [MTXX] +2.10%



Drug Manufacturers

LANNETT COMPANY INC [LCI] +21.64%
[SCMP] +8.82%
SIMCERE PHARMA ADS [SCR] +8.74%
REGENERX BIOPHARM IN [RGN] +5.88%
DEPOMED INC [DEPO] +5.07%



Drug Related Products

TIENS BIOTECH GR USA [TBV] +12.50%
CHINA SHENGHUO PHARM [KUN] +5.26%
MEDICAL NUTRITN USA [MDNU] +2.44%
N B T Y INC [NTY] +1.72%
PACIFICHEALTH LABS [PHLI.OB] +1.58%



Generic Drugs

ISOLAGEN INC [ILE] +4.70%
PHARMACUTICAL CO [PRX] +2.24%
BARR PHARMA INC [BRL] +2.05%
HELICOS BIOSCIENCES [HLCS] +1.98%
MYLAN LABS INC [MYL] +0.66%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

CYNOSURE, INC. [CYNO] +12.85%
SHAMIR OPTICAL INDUS [SHMR] +7.43%
VISION SCIENCES IN [VSCI] +7.07%
DEL GLOBAL TECH CORP [DGTC.OB] +5.56%
CANDELA CP [CLZR] +5.49%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

OCULUS INNOVATIVE SC [OCLS] +11.84%
NUCRYST PHARMACEUTIC [NCST] +10.84%
BIOMIMETIC THERAPEUT [BMTI] +8.55%
ADVANCED MED OPTICS [EYE] +5.79%
MEMRY CORPORATION [MRY] +5.30%



Medical Laboratories & Research

ALLIANCE IMAGING INC [AIQ] +4.59%
ARRAY BIOPHARMA IN [ARRY] +3.21%
NEOGENOMICS INC [NGNM.OB] +3.08%
MEDTOX SCIENTFIC INC [MTOX] +2.97%
AETERNA ZENTARIS [AEZS] +2.72%




- Thursday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Wednesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

Profile: RxElite Holdings

BHI Company Directory Profile




RxElite Holdings
1404 North Main Street
Suite 200
Meridian, Idaho 83642
U.S.A.
Phone: 800-414-1901
Fax: (208) 288-1191
consumercare@rxelite.com




RxElite Holdings, Inc. (SOUT.OB) is a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and markets generic prescription drug products in specialty generic markets. These markets include products in the areas of anesthesia, sterile liquid dose drugs (including respiratory inhalation drugs, ophthalmics, and injectable drugs), and transdermal patch products.

By utilizing "best in class" manufacturing and research and development partners, RxElite has created a dynamic, integrated team with a deep knowledge of the generic prescription pharmaceutical market. RxElite has built a strong base in sterile liquid dose manufacturing and is continuing to add select oral solid dose manufacturing capabilities.

The RxElite management team brings together experience in customer relationship management, pharmaceutical manufacturing, generic pharmaceutical development, supply chain management, and finance.

Founded in December 2000, RxElite has built significant sales and distribution channels in the U.S. Market. RxElite has implemented an aggressive generic product development and launch plan that will considerably strengthen our product portfolio over the next five years, through internal ANDA registrations and growing our partnerships with major international generic manufacturers.

Positioned as a strong player in the generic pharmaceutical market, RxElite is committed to providing the highest quality products at the best prices, with 100% deliverability.

We are committed to provide the following benefits to our clients and their customers:

Quality - RxElite products meet or exceed the industry's highest quality standards ensuring long-term satisfied customers.
Price - Utilizing the latest manufacturing technology and low cost distribution methods, RxElite is positioned to maintain price leadership.
Deliverability - RxElite has maintained a 100% order fulfillment rate since inception and will continue to strive to meet this standard.
RxElite's end goal: To be the generic buyer's "vendor of choice" in each of our products.






This is a BioHealth Investor company profile. Promote your company, learn how...
____________________

Morons and Other Biotech Management Types

by Michael Shulman
BiotechBlitz



There is an aura around life sciences and biotech companies -- an aura that projects the notion that management is very intelligent and the best our nation or the world can produce. They have Ph.D.s and M.D.s out the wazoo. What this aura often hides is the incredible number of morons that also exist in the industry.

One dictionary defines moron as a stupid person, a dolt. Dolt is defined as stupid, a person who is not very bright. Now we are getting somewhere! Someone who is not very bright, like a research scientist turned manager who cost shareholders in BioCryst $100 million dollars in market cap last night. Needless to say, I am a shareholder. And also needless to say I am not happy.

BioCryst (BCRX) announced yesterday that the company's Phase II trial for flu treatment Peramivir failed to reach its clinical endpoint. The headline made me nauseous and caused aftermarket investors to bid the stock down more than 30%. Sadly, the information that the company was moving on to Phase III trials -- and the drug was quite effective in a large subgroup of more than 100 patients and the reason it failed to meet its endpoint was that the needles used in the trial were too small to penetrate the increasingly fat butts found in patients -- was placed too far down in the copy for nervous investors and traders.

You can't make this stuff up!

Obesity is epidemic, airlines are widening seats and the rocket scientist at BCRX who designed the trial used a needle that was too small to properly administer the drug. The Phase I trial for Peramivir used a longer needle.

BioCryst switched to a shorter needle because it thought it might be more comfortable for the patients -- and either did not bother to test the new needle beforehand, or tested it on the wrong sampling of a patient group before finalizing design of the trial.

Surreal! The best analogy would be NASA re-doing heat shields on the shuttle and not testing them with real heat to see of they worked.

In (grudging) fairness to BCRX, the relatively new CEO Jon Stonehouse -- a very operations-oriented exec recruited out of big pharma -- inherited this trial, as did several new members of his management team.

I don't envy him the past few months. He also inherited a trial for leukemia treatment Fodosine that was canceled because the stopper used for the vials that held the drug corroded a bit and contaminated the drugs used in the trials.

As I said you cannot make this stuff up.

Sadly for may investors, these miscues that cost investors hundreds of millions of dollars are more the rule than the exception among smallish biotechs. These outfits, typically started by doctors and scientists (occasionally accused of arrogance) place their emphases on molecules and raising money, while operational details often get lost, including crucial ones like the size of a needle for a clinical trial.

For example, Dendreon (DNDN) did not bring an attorney to its FDA panel meeting and initially allowed the panel to vote on its drug based on the wrong wording of the question dictated by FDA regulations. I have been to investor presentations where companies truly needing to broaden their investment base speak in biotech-lab gibberish and are frustrated when they cannot get their message across.

I have had the good fortune of spending time with Jon Stonehouse -- don't take this post personally Jon -- and he is a highly competent fellow with the advantage of not having a Ph.D. or M.D. next to his name on his business card.

He will figure this out -- but take some unsolicited advice, Jon -- hire some more guys like you and get rid of the weenies with too many graduate degrees. They are better suited to a college campus or managing a clinical trial program in China.

Do you know of a company that has made these kinds of gaffes? Come and post.




BiotechBlitz is a regular contributor to BioHealth Investor
___________

AMDL Increases Pipeline

by Richard Daverman, PhD
ChinaBio Today



AMDL Inc. (ADL) announced its wholly-owned China subsidiary, Jade Pharmaceutical, will increase its product pipeline by increasing in-house research and in-licensing products from other companies.

Currently, Jade has two products under consideration by the SFDA, AMDL's DR-70(R) cancer diagnostic test kit and docetaxel injectables. AMDL expects that both products will be approved by the SFDA and launched by mid-2008. AMDL anticipates that the docetaxel product will become its best selling product, eventually attaining revenues of $10 million per year.

AMDL has made several attempts to win approval in the US for its DR-70(R) cancer diagnostic test kit, using the equivalency criterion as a means to attain the FDA’s blessing. But each time, the FDA has ruled that the test does not meet the equivalency criterion. AMDL claims that the DR-70® kit, a blood test, has been shown to detect up to 13 different common cancers, including lung (small and non-small cell), stomach, breast, rectal, colon and liver cancer. AMDL has been selling the kit in Asia.

Jade has four other products in development: EO-H, an herbal treatment to improve bone density; TouJin NiangShi, an herbal liver cancer treatment; and Drotaverrine Hydrochloric and Diammonium Glycyrrhizinate, both of which are chemotherapy therapeutic products. These four products are scheduled to complete the SFDA review process in the next two to three years.

Jade Pharmaceuticals already manufactures large volume injectable fluids, tablets and other products, holding licenses for 133 products. It also manufactures 107 generic, over-the-counter and supplemental pharmaceutical products under certified Chinese Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) standards.

AMDL completed its acquisition of Jade in September 2006. It paid 2.743 million shares of AMDL stock for the assets of Jade Pharmaceutical, which included Jade’s two operating subsidiaries.

In August, AMDL announced Q2 revenues of $2.264 million, a 69% jump over the first quarter numbers. Gross profits were $1.15 million, but a non-cash charge of $2.264 million took the company into a substantial loss. AMDL said the charge was for depreciation, common stock, warrants and options that were issued.

AMDL is headquartered in Tustin, CA. Jade Pharma has operations in Shenzhen, Jiangxi and Jilin. In the last 12 months, AMDL has traded between $2.20 and $5.58. In mid-session, it was priced at $3.31, down 5 cents.




ChinaBio Today is a regular contributor to BioHealth Investor
_______________

Thursday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

3SBIO INC [SSRX] +23.19%
REXAHN PHARMACEUTICL [RXHN.OB] +20.87%
CURAGEN CORP [CRGN] +15.38%
VIACELL, INC. [VIAC] +10.53%
EXACT SCIENCES COR [EXAS] +7.32%



Diagnostic Substances

[IMRX] +11.49%
ROSETTA GENOMICS LTD [ROSG] +4.84%
LEXICON PHARMACEUTCL [LXRX] +2.18%
INFINITY PHARMACEUTI [INFI] +1.98%
GENE LOGIC INC [GLGC] +1.63%



Drug Delivery

QUIGLEY CORP THE [QGLY] +8.28%
INSITE VISION INC [ISV] +4.96%
EMISPHERE TECH [EMIS] +3.30%
COLUMBIA LABS INC [CBRX] +3.20%
BENTLEY PHARMACEUTIC [BNT] +3.17%



Drug Manufacturers

ACUSPHERE INC [ACUS] +4.90%
PROVECTUS PHARMA [PVCT.OB] +4.84%
NEXMED INC [NEXM] +4.76%
MINRAD INTL INC [BUF] +3.25%
SIMCERE PHARMA ADS [SCR] +4.69%



Drug Related Products

CHINA SHENGHUO PHARM [KUN] +7.04%
TIENS BIOTECH GR USA [TBV] +4.92%
ZILA INC [ZILA] +4.55%
PACIFICHEALTH LABS [PHLI.OB] +2.15%
NATROL INC [NTOL] +1.61%



Generic Drugs

HI-TECH PHARMACAL [HITK] +1.72%
PHARMACUTICAL CO [PRX] +0.97%
CARACO PHARMA LABS [CPD] +0.57%
ISOLAGEN INC [ILE] +0.43%
BARR PHARMA INC [BRL] +0.21%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

VISION SCIENCES IN [VSCI] +8.24%
SYNOVIS LIFE TECH [SYNO] +7.13%
RESTORE MEDICAL INC [REST] +5.63%
CAMBRIDGE HEART INC [CAMH.OB] +4.17%
LANGER INC [GAIT] +4.12%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

VICOR TECHNOLOGIES [VCRT.OB] +19.81%
BIOSPHERE MEDICAL [BSMD] +16.29%
ROCHESTER MEDICAL [ROCM] +11.65%
CARDIOTECH INTL [CTE] +5.69%
OPHTHALMIC IMAGING SYS INC [OISI.OB] +3.70%



Medical Laboratories & Research

AETERNA ZENTARIS [AEZS] +4.47%
SPHERIX INC [SPEX] +2.42%
PSYCHEMEDICS NEW [PMD] +0.48%
BIO-REFERENCE LAB [BRLI] +0.43%
NATL DENTEX CP [NADX] +0.38%




- Wednesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Tuesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

Cancer Immunotherapy: Is the Hype Over and the Hope Beginning?

by Michael Shulman
BiotechBlitz



The simplistic and lazy cancer vaccines are immunotherapy: treatments that stimulate a patient’s immune system to fight cancer.

A decade or more ago, in a capital market far far away, cancer immunotherapies and treatments, and the companies that researched them were white hot. Due to the incredible time it takes to develop these therapies and the lack of clear regulatory guidance and pathways at the FDA, they have been stuck in trials -- and, understandably, investors have run for cover.

But now, they may be on the rebound -- for patients and for investors.

What is cancer immunotherapy?

I prefer a very narrow definition when talking about investments: new drugs designed to turn on the patient’s immune system to fight cancer on it’s own.

Wikipedia has a good working definition that also includes some broader approaches beyond my own definition.

When I talk about cancer immunotherapy (and when Wall Street talks about immunotherapy companies) it is the treatment, stimulation and management of a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer in many forms. Treatments are being developed to either prevent the onset of cancer, almost like a traditional vaccine or immunization, or to stimulate a patient’s immune system after the onset of the disease typically by injecting therapeutic antibodies.

Different kinds of cancer tumors have cells that have unusual type of antigens (go to Wikipedia for this one also) and these are often the targets of immunotherapies -- especially antigens that appear on the surface of cancer cells and are relatively easy to get to.

Research scientists also look for something called “cell surface receptors.” These do not occur with any frequency in a healthy patient and are an integral part of the duplication process of cancer cells, and if an immune system can stop these receptors, a tumor, theoretically, could stop growing.

Who plays in this arena? The most infamous company is Dendreon (DNDN) and its prostate cancer treatment Provenge. The success (at a panel) and failure (with the FDA staff) of this drug in the approval process highlights the problems facing developers of these treatments. The problems:

What to treat? When these companies got started, “tumor shrinkage” or the stopping of tumor growth was all the rage. Now, they are being asked to extend life, a much more logical target but this changes things. Dendreon’s trials of Provenge failed to stop tumor progress but one small one seemed to show a survival benefit.

Who is the regulator? Most cancer drugs are regulated by a group at the FDA known to some of us -- the wittier ones -- as statistical fascists. The panels convened by this group to review new treatments are dominated by practicing oncologists who see two weeks more survival as a relevant fact. It is not.

Some of the immunotherapy companies are regulated by a different group at FDA and they are far more sensitive to the issues facing brand new technology. This group stacked the panel looking at Provenge with seven immunologists -- and lost the battle with the statistical fascists within the agency, and the drug was rejected. It was the first cancer treatment approved by a panel and rejected by staff in living memory. This mess -- and it is a mess! -- makes handicapping the potential success of a treatment in trial and the approval process very difficult.

How to measure progress? If life extension is what counts, trials need to be much longer than a trial to measure tumor progress -- the new trial for Provenge is three years long -- and trials need to be managed very well with most patients at the same stage of the disease when entering the trial.

Most start up biotechs lack the management ability to keep their bathroom stocked with toilet paper and are very poor at managing trials the way the FDA wants them managed. The executive teams at these companies are also populated with arrogant scientists not willing to listen or work with public servants. I kid you not. So many trials are still underway that are aiming at something other than life extension.

Manufacturing: Many of these treatments require processing of an individual’s patient’s blood -- some involving the taking of tumor tissue samples -- and this requires a manufacturing facility that requires FDA approval and a whole new FDA set of regulations. A great book is "Inside the FDA" by Fran Hawthorne, which will give you a good look at how tortured this process can be.

Does it work? Traditional high profile oncologists -- used to poisoning and burning patients or giving them cocktails of drugs they put together outside FDA labels -- want more data.

I don’t. Provenge clearly works on some sub-group of advanced prostate cancer patients, and these people are going to die anyway. Other treatments have failed, notably a treatment from Antigenics (AGEN). Let us hope the arrogant doctors who manage these companies and the arrogant doctors on the FDA panels abandon Francis Bacon, at his worst, and let one through. And then another, and another….

What does this mean for investors? Are there immunotherapy companies worth looking at? Maybe, maybe not.

Dendreon (DNDN): Avoid this dog. Management is screwing up the trial process again and the new trial will be interrupted to present interim results to get an expedited FDA approval at the end of 2008. The betting money is the trial will fail to show life extension because they enrolled the easier-to-find patients in the trial first – the sickest patients. A dumb move.

Cell Genesys (CEGE): They are also working in an advanced prostate cancer treatment, GVAX, and their trials are constructed to show life extension and also in conjunction with other known treatments, so if the therapy works, they may have a fighting chance to get an approval.

Antigenics (AGEN): Probably a dead company, their drug did not work, they have burned through oodles of investor cash, stay away.

Oxford Biomedica PLC (OXB: LSE, London Stock Exchange): They just concluded a huge deal with the Sanofi-aventis (SNY), potentially worth more than half a billion dollars, as SNY tries to play catch up in the $50-billion-dollar-per-annum cancer treatment market.

Big pharma: The dinosaurs working in this area are Sanofi-aventis, GlaxoSmthKline (GSK) and German company Merck Kga. Stay away, dinosaurs are just that, dinosaurs.

Bottom line: If investors continue to support these companies -- and just one drug works and gets an approval -- all hell will break loose to the upside for there is a great need for a next-generation approach to cancer treatment.




Biotech Blitz is a regular contributor to BioHealth Investor
______________

Wednesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

INNOVIVE PHARMACEUTL [IVPH.OB] +21.62%
RENOVIS INC [RNVS] +20.48%
PROTALIX BIOTHERAPEU [PLX] +8.58%
ADVENTRX PHARMACTL [ANX] +8.41%
XENOPORT [XNPT] +8.22%



Diagnostic Substances

INTERLEUKIN GENETICS [ILI] +8.11%
ASPENBIO PHARMA INC [APPY] +5.66%
QUIDEL CP [QDEL] +4.75%
IMMUNOMEDICS INC [IMMU] +4.39%
IMMUCOR INC [BLUD] +3.75%



Drug Delivery

ACURA PHARMACEUTICAL [ACUR.OB] +14.09%
MATRIXX INITIATVS [MTXX] +3.57%
EMISPHERE TECH [EMIS] +3.41%
ARADIGM CORP [ARDM.OB] +2.96%
NOVEN PHARMACEUTIC [NOVN] +2.30%



Drug Manufacturers

WUXI PHARMATECH ADS [WX] +9.64%
DYNAVAX TECHNOLOGIES [DVAX] +8.60%
PROVECTUS PHARMA [PVCT.OB] +7.83%
PRANA BIO LTD ADS S1 [PRAN] +7.30%
SOMAXON PHARMACEUTIC [SOMX] +6.45%



Drug Related Products

USANA HEALTH SCIEN [USNA] +7.47%
TIENS BIOTECH GR USA [TBV] +6.64%
MANNATECH INC [MTEX] +4.61%
NATURAL ALTERNATIV [NAII] +2.19%
NATROL INC [NTOL] +1.64%



Generic Drugs

HI-TECH PHARMACAL [HITK] +2.19%
BARR PHARMA INC [BRL] +1.90%
WATSON PHARMACEUTCLS [WPI] +1.56%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

MEDICALCV INC [MCVI.OB] +13.20%
LAKELAND INDS INC [LAKE] +7.78%
HANSEN MEDICAL, INC. [HNSN] +5.37%
VARIAN MED SYS INC [VAR] +5.13%
[MASI] +4.70%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

BIOMIMETIC THERAPEUT [BMTI] +8.46%
ORTHOVITA INC [VITA] +6.51%
MEMRY CORPORATION [MRY] +5.63%
MINDRAY MEDICAL INTL [MR] +5.01%
OCULUS INNOVATIVE SC [OCLS] +4.85%



Medical Laboratories & Research

MEDTOX SCIENTFIC INC [MTOX] +4.14%
NEOGENOMICS INC [NGNM.OB] +4.00%
NATL DENTEX CP [NADX] +2.70%
ERESEARCHTECHNOLOG [ERES] +2.54%
PHARM PROD DEV [PPDI] +1.84%




- Tuesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Monday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

Tuesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

SANGAMO BIOSCIENCE [SGMO] +12.12%
KOSAN BIOSCIENCES [KOSN] +10.17%
ANIKA THERAPEUTICS [ANIK] +9.22%
BIONOVO INC [BNVI] +8.38%
ALTUS PHARMACEUTICAL [ALTU] +7.95%



Diagnostic Substances

HUMAN GENOME SCI [HGSI] +7.47%
ROSETTA GENOMICS LTD [ROSG] +5.66%
EPICEPT CORPORATION [EPCT] +5.14%
STARMED GROUP NEW [SMED.OB] +4.76%
ABAXIS INC [ABAX] +4.55%



Drug Delivery

ACURA PHARMACEUTICAL [ACUR.OB] +15.50%
NEKTAR THERAPEUTIC [NKTR] +5.74%
ARADIGM CORP [ARDM.OB] +5.47%
ALKERMES INC [ALKS] +4.30%
PETMED EXPRESS INC [PETS] +4.27%



Drug Manufacturers

MILLENNIUM PHARM [MLNM] +9.01%
TELIK INC [TELK] +7.29%
MINRAD INTL INC [BUF] +6.52%
ALEXZA PHARMACEUTICA [ALXA] +6.37%
PAIN THERAPEUTICS [PTIE] +6.05%



Drug Related Products

PRESTIGE BRAND HLGS [PBH] +7.72%
N B T Y INC [NTY] +5.14%
SALIX PHARM DEL [SLXP] +3.86%
AUXILIUM PHARMACEUT [AUXL] +3.15%
IMAGENETIX INC [IAGX.OB] +2.97%



Generic Drugs

PHARMACUTICAL CO [PRX] +12.62%
CATALYST PHARMACEUTI [CPRX] +6.21%
CARACO PHARMA LABS [CPD] +4.59%
HI-TECH PHARMACAL [HITK] +2.06%
BARR PHARMA INC [BRL] +2.00%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

MEDICALCV INC [MCVI.OB] +8.70%
REGENERATION TECH [RTIX] +7.63%
DEL GLOBAL TECH CORP [DGTC.OB] +7.41%
INTUITIVE SURG INC [ISRG] +5.91%
CONMED CP [CNMD] +5.67%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

BIOMERICA INC [BMRA.OB] +11.36%
CANTEL MEDICAL CORP [CMN] +9.33%
CRYOCOR, INC. [CRYO] +8.13%
AMDL, INC [ADL] +7.41%
ABIOMED INC [ABMD] +6.80%



Medical Laboratories & Research

ENZO BIOCHEM INC [ENZ] +7.33%
GENOMIC HEALTH, INC. [GHDX] +5.56%
ARRAY BIOPHARMA IN [ARRY] +3.45%
ALLIANCE IMAGING INC [AIQ] +3.17%
ERESEARCHTECHNOLOG [ERES] +3.07%




- Monday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Friday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

RNA Interference: NOT Better Late Than Never

by Michael Shulman
Biotech Blitz



RNA interference is arguably the hottest area of raw biotech research today.

And, up front, I don’t like it as a place for investors to put their money for two reasons -- it's too early, and it is too late.

It is far too early to see if this technology and approach for treating disease will pay off in the form of approved drugs and treatments.

It is too late because many of the stocks in this segment have been bid up due to M&A and partnership activity between the big pharma dinosaurs that are desperate for new approaches and the little itty bitty start ups a decade or more away from an approval drug.

And, like most investors, I don’t like it because I missed it.

What is RNA interference?

It is the use of RNA regulation of gene expression to inhibit the genetic direction given to disease -- simply put, the use of RNA to mess up gene expression in disease. Check out the complete definition at Wikpedia if you are helping your children with their homework or if you want to pose as a scientist at a cocktail party .

There is an even more boring, ongoing discussion of the science at RNAi News. And if that gets you going, there is also a Genome News, but I will save that dor a rainy day. Last year, Craig C. Mello and Andrew Fire won the Nobel Prize for their work in RNA interference in roundworms. Too bad you cannot swallow these roundworms to cure what ails you.

Why am I such a cynic? Because RNAi is elegant but incredibly hard to manage and build into real drugs. The single biggest task is to get enough engineered RNA into a human cell -- enough to treat the target disease. The problem is RNA is inherently volatile and unstable, so there is a great deal of work required on drug delivery and packaging before any of this becomes real. The first targets will be where drug delivery is easiest: A shot (literally) in the eye, inhaled treatments in the lungs and so on.

Stay with me folks! This is a blog about money, not RNAi pathways or molecules.

IS there still money to be made among the RNAi intereference stocks? I spent a good deal of time on this one, as late as this entry might be, and I am still uncomfortable. I admit a bias against investing based on the hope of M&A activity – but, well, it’s your dough.

And let me say, though, that RNA interference or something akin to it -- something that modifies or suppresses the genetic sequences of disease -- is arguably a holy grail in medical treatments, for it goes after the disease and the disease alone -- at least we hope so -- and leaves the rest of the body alone -- again, we hope.

Alynlam (ALN): This used to be a true dog -- it has now licensed more than $300 million in core technology to Roche and that company also got a 5% stake. A dog no more, and far too expensive to buy. Alynlam is also working with heavyweight device maker Medtronic.

Arrowhead Research (ARWR):This outfit invests in early stage research, including RNAi and then if anything it has comes close to success ARWR will partner it off or bring it to market.

CyTrx (CYTR): This company manages press releases and the growth spurts in its stock better than its labs and, cleverly enough, announced a new subsidiary to do RNAi-only research earlier in the year. Too much hype, not enough hope, stay away.

ISIS (ISIS): This company was in the news in the past few days as it cut a major deal to work collaboratively with Alnylam to form a company called Regulus to do research in microRNA, a derivative technology. Why? To eventually take this new outfit public because they are tired of losing money on RNAi research without a payoff. I will write about Regulus when it comes to market.

Merck (MRK) -- through Sirna (formerly RNAI): Merck bought Sirna for $1.1 billion late last year to get into this game and Sirna was the only company with a drug in late-stage testing. The drug is for age related macular degeneration. It was this purchase that set off the frenzy in RNAi stocks. I think MRK is almost a short, let alone an investment, and I would stay away from Merck at all costs.

Rosetta Genomics (ROSG): This company is also specializing in microRNA and is the closest to a possible investment for me because it

a) is benefitting from the hundreds of milliosn spent by others on research, and
b) it has not done as well as others since its recent IPO so the stock is not ridiculously priced. If you look at the little things like revenues and profits ROSG is over priced, but compared to other RNA stocks that have burned through serious dough, it is in better shape -- sort of.

Yes, I missed the run. But I also owned Dendreon (DNDN) at chump change prices, saw it go past $20 and got out. So I do get it right more than occasionally – and if you are going to go speculative, take a look at immunotherapy, next up here.



RELATED READING:
- RNAi: Next Phase or Next Fad?
- Micro RNAs: The Last Frontier of Medicine?
- RNAi developments by Alnylam, CytRx Highlight Tuesday's Biotech News
- Merck Looking To Become RNAi Technology Leader




Biotech Blitz is a regular contributor to BioHealth Investor
______________

Monday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

GENTA INC [GNTA] +8.59%
POLYDEX PHARM LTD [POLXF] +6.42%
IMMTECH PHARM INC [IMM] +5.82%
LIFECELL CP [LIFC] +4.97%
ALNYLAM PHARMACEUT [ALNY] +4.43%



Diagnostic Substances

ROSETTA GENOMICS LTD [ROSG] +9.38%
SYNTA PHARMACEUTICAL [SNTA] +4.70%
SONUS PHARM INC [SNUS] +4.69%
SCOLR PHARMA INC [DDD] +3.57%
AVALON PHARMACEUTIC [AVRX] +3.27%



Drug Delivery

ACURA PHARMACEUTICAL [ACUR.OB] +8.40%
COLUMBIA LABS INC [CBRX] +1.28%
DELCATH SYSTEMS INC [DCTH] +1.00%
K V PHARMA CL A [KV-A] +0.14%



Drug Manufacturers

PRANA BIO LTD ADS S1 [PRAN] +7.76%
SOMAXON PHARMACEUTIC [SOMX] +4.14%
OSCIENT PHARMACEUT [OSCI] +3.79%
NEUROLOGIX INC [NRGX.OB] +2.36%
SIMCERE PHARMA ADS [SCR] +1.66%



Drug Related Products

NATROL INC [NTOL] +6.07%
MEDICAL NUTRITN USA [MDNU] +2.35%
LABOPHARM INC. [DDSS] +1.81%
PACIFICHEALTH LABS [PHLI.OB] +0.53%
NATURAL ALTERNATIV [NAII] +0.50%



Generic Drugs

LOTUS PHARMACEUTICAL [LTUS.OB] +7.14%
CATALYST PHARMACEUTI [CPRX] +4.44%
ISOLAGEN INC [ILE] +2.61%
MYLAN LABS INC [MYL] +0.59%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

SPECTRASCIENCE NEW [SCIE.OB] +14.29%
EMERGENT GROUP INC [EMGP.OB] +13.11%
SONTRA MEDICAL CORP [SONT.OB] +7.95%
FONAR CORP [FONR] +3.44%
REFLECT SCIENTIFIC [RSCF.OB] +2.86%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

OCULUS INNOVATIVE SC [OCLS] +38.45%
CAS MEDICAL SYS INC [CASM] +5.93%
INSULET CORPORATION [PODD] +4.60%
IMMUNOCELLULAR THERA [IMUC.OB] +4.55%
YOUNG INNOVATIONS [YDNT] +3.49%



Medical Laboratories & Research

MEDTOX SCIENTFIC INC [MTOX] +1.85%
ENZO BIOCHEM INC [ENZ] +1.44%
ALLIANCE IMAGING INC [AIQ] +1.38%
PHARM PROD DEV [PPDI] +0.66%
BIO-REFERENCE LAB [BRLI] +0.09%




- Friday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Thursday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

OpGen Raises $23.6 Million for DNA Analysis Technology

by Sara Calabro
Med Tech Sentinel



OpGen, a Madison, WI-based company whose technology analyzes DNA extracted from microbial cells, has raised $23.6 million in a Series A equity financing. The financing — led by CHL Medical Partners, Highland Capital Partners and Versant

Ventures, with previous investor Mason Wells also participating — will be used to develop diagnostic systems for the clinical microbiology market.

“Currently, clinical microbiology laboratories depend on isolating and growing microorganisms from clinical samples,” said CHL Medical Partners’ Ron Lennox, who was named chairman of OpGen’s board in conjunction with the financing. “This is a lengthy process and provides only a simple taxonomic identification. The results are rarely timely enough to influence choice of therapy and can lead to excessive use of expensive broad-spectrum antibiotics. OpGen’s new system will provide data capable of identifying bacteria down to the strain level, within a single shift.”

OpGen’s Optical Mapping system is already being used by organizations worldwide for comparative genomic analysis of a range of organisms of importance to human health, including tracing the origins of food-poisoning cases such as the recent outbreak linked to contaminated spinach. The system can be used to obtain detailed genetic information with no requirement for prior sequence data, PCR, cloning, or probes.

Applications for the new instrumentation systems include clinical microbial analysis, forensic microbiology and the development of novel molecular diagnostic products.

“There is a huge unmet need for systems to rapidly and accurately diagnose clinical infections and to control nosocomial infections,” said Corey Mulloy, from Highland Capital Partners.



Med Tech Sentinel is a regular contributor to BioHealth Investor
________________

Friday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

NORTHFIELD LABS IN [NFLD] +17.30%
EPIX PHARMACEUTICALS [EPIX] +10.28%
GENTA INC [GNTA] +9.40%
POLYMEDIX INC [PYMX.OB] +8.57%
SANGAMO BIOSCIENCE [SGMO] +8.39%



Diagnostic Substances

STARMED GROUP NEW [SMED.OB] +55.64%
RESPONSE GENETICS, I [RGDX] +18.68%
TORREYPINES THERAPEU [TPTX] +7.31%
SYNTA PHARMACEUTICAL [SNTA] +5.82%
ROSETTA GENOMICS LTD [ROSG] +5.02%



Drug Delivery

INSITE VISION INC [ISV] +8.77%
ACURA PHARMACEUTICAL [ACUR.OB] +6.25%
MATRIXX INITIATVS [MTXX] +5.78%
PETMED EXPRESS INC [PETS] +3.59%
COLUMBIA LABS INC [CBRX] +2.17%


Drug Manufacturers

DUSA PHARM INC [DUSA] +13.90%
DEPOMED INC [DEPO] +11.44%
NEUROGEN CP [NRGN] +10.86%
NITROMED, INC. [NTMD] +10.81%
AP PHARMA INC [APPA] +8.29%



Drug Related Products

MEDICAL NUTRITN USA [MDNU] +3.91%
TIENS BIOTECH GR USA [TBV] +2.10%
N B T Y INC [NTY] +1.20%
AUXILIUM PHARMACEUT [AUXL] +0.99%
PRESTIGE BRAND HLGS [PBH] +0.95%



Generic Drugs

LOTUS PHARMACEUTICAL [LTUS.OB] +16.67%
HI-TECH PHARMACAL [HITK] +4.08%
CATALYST PHARMACEUTI [CPRX] +2.09%
BARR PHARMA INC [BRL] +0.72%
CARACO PHARMA LABS [CPD] +0.45%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

NORTHSTAR NEUROSCI [NSTR] +8.22%
SONIC INNOVATIONS [SNCI] +2.97%
PHOTOMEDEX INC [PHMD] +2.94%
DYNATRONICS CP [DYNT] +2.88%
ATS MEDICAL INC [ATSI] +2.73%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

MEMRY CORPORATION [MRY] +7.52%
CHINA MEDICAL TECH [CMED] +6.90%
EP MEDSYSTEMS INC [EPMD] +6.90%
INOVIO BIOMED CORP [INO] +6.21%
ALPHATEC HOLDINGS [ATEC] +5.98%



Medical Laboratories & Research

NEOGENOMICS INC [NGNM.OB] +4.92%
GENOMIC HEALTH, INC. [GHDX] +2.13%
ARRAY BIOPHARMA IN [ARRY] +1.67%
RADNET INC [RDNT] +1.16%
PSYCHEMEDICS NEW [PMD] +0.89%




- Thursday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Wednesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

Thursday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor



Biotechnology

GENTA INC [GNTA] +15.84%
CORCEPT THERAPEUTICS [CORT] +15.32%
ZIOPHARM ONCOLOGY IN [ZIOP] +6.71%
VIA PHARMACEUTICALS [VIAP] +5.88%
NORTHWEST BIOTH NEW [NWBO.OB] +4.44%



Diagnostic Substances

EPICEPT CORPORATION [EPCT] +19.63%
RESPONSE GENETICS, I [RGDX] +11.44%
REMOTEMDX INC [RMDX.OB] +7.93%
INTERLEUKIN GENETICS [ILI] +7.50%
SONUS PHARM INC [SNUS] +7.47%



Drug Delivery

ACURA PHARMACEUTICAL [ACUR.OB] +7.69%
GENEREX BIOTECH CORP [GNBT] +7.28%
INSITE VISION INC [ISV] +5.56%
NOVEN PHARMACEUTIC [NOVN] +3.16%
BIOVAIL CORP [BVF] +2.33%



Drug Manufacturers

PROTALEX INC [PRTX.OB] +14.17%
ACUSPHERE INC [ACUS] +6.11%
WUXI PHARMATECH ADS [wx] +4.93%
BIODEL INC. [BIOD] +4.28%
ISIS PHARM INC [ISIS] +4.23%



Drug Related Products

CHINA SHENGHUO PHARM [KUN] +2.49%
NUTRACEUTICAL INTL [NUTR] +1.52%
NATROL INC [NTOL] +1.38%
MEDICAL NUTRITN USA [MDNU] +1.24%
N B T Y INC [NTY] +0.83%



Generic Drugs

WATSON PHARMACEUTCLS [WPI] +2.75%
PHARMACUTICAL CO [PRX] +1.86%
ISOLAGEN INC [ILE] +0.88%
HI-TECH PHARMACAL [HITK] +0.37%
HELICOS BIOSCIENCES [HLCS] +0.21%



Medical Appliances & Equipment

LANGER INC [GAIT] +8.06%
ARRHYTHMIA RES TECH [HRT] +6.79%
DIGIRAD CORPORATION [DRAD] +6.73%
CAMBRIDGE HEART INC [CAMH.OB] +6.62%
EMERGENT GROUP INC [EMGP.OB] +6.06%



Medical Instruments & Supplies

ARRAY BIOPHARMA IN [ARRY] +3.55%
ERESEARCHTECHNOLOG [ERES] +2.74%
BIO-REFERENCE LAB [BRLI] +2.65%
ENZO BIOCHEM INC [ENZ] +1.87%
NATL DENTEX CP [NADX] +1.71%



Medical Laboratories & Research

ANGEION CORP [ANGN] +15.32%
ISORAY INC [ISR] +7.39%
NUVASIVE, INC. [NUVA] +5.29%
BIOMERICA INC [BMRA.OB] +5.07%
ARISTOTLE CP [ARTL] +4.42%




- Wednesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
- Tuesday's Top Biotech & Medical Stocks
____________________

Interview: Dr.Prather of Pluristem Life Systems

by H.S. Ayoub, DMD
BioHealth Investor



Stem cell research has been one of the most contraversial medical, scientific, and political issues of the last decade. Conservative outcries against the use of embryos to harvest multi-potent stem cells have been loud and clear, while the liberal view point that early cells do not constitute "life" and should be used for medical research has been equally strong.

But the majority of stem cell research around the world should not fall within the realm of these debates, as a larger percentage of stem cells used by researchers are harvested from umbilical cords of newborns, and adult tissue, such as skin, nasal lining, and even teeth.

In fact, most publically traded companies involved in stem cell research utilize non-embryonic sources; companies such as Aastrom Biosciences (ASTM), StemCells (STEM), and Cytori Therapeutics (CYTX).

One such company which has so far fallen under the radar of Wall Street investors is Pluristem Life Systems (PLRS.OB). I talked to Senior VP of Corporate Development Dr. William R. Prather about the company's stem cell research program and how it plans to standout among the crowd;



(BHI) Please give our readers a brief history of Pluristem?

(DR.Prather) Pluristem was formed as the result of a reverse merger with a Nevada public company called “A.I. Software, Inc.” in April, 2003. On May 5, 2003, Pluristem entered into a license agreement with the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology to acquire an exclusive license for an innovative stem cell production technology. This production technology is a three dimensional (3D) cellular expansion technology termed PluriX™. This technology, if fully developed, may offer novel solutions to make procedures such as bone marrow transplants and other methods of cell therapy more accessible to patients suffering from leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and a broad range of complicated diseases and disorders. On May 22, 2007, Pluristem purchased the patents from these institutions for approximately $2 million. These institutions then invested this money in Pluristem’s recent financing.

The Company’s first planned product, PLX-I, which are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the placenta and expanded using the Company’s PluriX™ production technology, addresses the global shortfall of matched tissue for bone marrow transplantation (BMT) by improving the engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) contained in umbilical cord blood (UCB). An investigational new drug (IND) application is expected to be filed for PLX-I in 2007, with clinical trials scheduled to begin between late 2007 and early 2008. The primary end point of the study will be safety but the Company will be able to obtain some efficacy data as well because the cohorts in the study will have a hematological malignancy and are unable to obtain a suitable donor match with a traditional BMT

PLX-I, seeks to remedy the key limitation of BMT: the need for an almost perfect tissue match between donor and patient. Pluristem’s unique technology allows for the use of UCB as a source of HSCs that are needed for the transplant. The attributes of these PLX-I cells allow them to