The 3 Hottest Stem Cell Stocks Under $5
Today's Financial News - Posted November 26, 2008
Each of these ground-floor stem cell stocks can help you multiply every dollar invested as much as three, four, maybe even ten times!
By Laura Cadden, TodaysFinancialNews.com
Baltimore — (TFN): Investors expect President-Elect Obama to make good on his campaign promise to lift restrictions on federally funding human embryonic stem cell research.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has vowed to introduce legislation for a regulatory framework necessary to enable expanded stem cell research.
Experts consider both the regulatory framework (to underpin clinical trials) and the additional funding to ring in a new era for American stem cell companies.
In fact, many foreign stem cell researchers now fear that even private and institutional U.S. funding may be “repatriated” to U.S. companies.
No matter how long it may take for federal dollars to have a measurable effect on companies’ actual bottom lines, stem cell research will make headlines in the weeks ahead.
Use the current market slump to position yourself for publicity-driven price spikes in some of the best-situated stem cell stocks.
We’ve found three of the hottest stem cell stocks around. Each has winning potential… and is currently selling at bargain rates! Invest now… and you could see gains of 50%, 100%, even 200% within the first two quarters of 2009.
These stocks are priced below $5 each. Even a moderate investment may pay off handsomely if the reinstatement of federal funding triggers the wave of investor interest we expect it to!
HOT STEM CELL STOCK #1: Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTM)
Over 5 million people in the U.S. suffer from cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease). The condition is a contributing factor in at least 250,000 deaths each year.
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common form of the disease. More men suffer from it than women. It usually occurs in those aged between 20 and 60 years — though even children can have it. In fact, my own brother is a sufferer and I lost a grandmother and uncle to DCM.
Patient numbers are bound to increase as the U.S. population ages.
But one company is hoping to reduce the mortality rate through revolutionary treatments.
Truly Biotechnology
Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. develops products for the repair or regeneration of human tissue.
Aastrom’s proprietary Tissue Repair Cell (TRC) technology involves autologous (meaning the patient’s own), mixed-cell products containing stem and early progenitor cells to treat cardiac and vascular tissue regeneration.
Mending the ailing heart
The company has just launched Phase II IMPACT-DCM clinical trials for the evaluation Aastrom’s Cardiac Repair Cells (CRCs) in the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) or congestive heart failure.
The CRCs are delivered surgically, directly into the heart muscle.
The company intends to enroll patients with end-stage DCM. Half will have ischemic DCM (often caused by repeated heart attacks) and the other half, non-ischemic DCM (where the damage is due to hypertension, viral infection or alcoholism).
Orphan Drug Designation
Early indications from a “compassionate use” case in Germany are promising. (“Compassionate use” means an experimental therapy that is not yet officially approved but permission has been granted to treat a patients who has run out of other options)
As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Aastrom’s CRCs the Orphan Drug Designation. That allows for an expedited FDA review, a reduction of filing fees, possible tax credits, and the right to seven years of marketing exclusivity once the product receives FDA approval.
Worth your investment buck
| Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. Domino’s Farms, Lobby K 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105 USA Phone: 1-734-930-5555 http://www.aastrom.com/ |
The current market has battered down stocks like this micro cap. As a matter of fact, the Nasdaq has given Aastrom until March to bring their stock price above $1 for 10 consecutive days. Otherwise, Aastrom will lose their listing.
Of course, they aren’t the only company in this situation. But with the increased interest in stem cell research, potential federal grant money coming, and a treatment that — if it works — could change the lives of millions, I recommend you buy shares of Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTM) at or under 85 cents.
I expect this stock to go up at least 20% in the next 6 months.
HOT STEM CELL STOCK #2: Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS)
Have you completed a Red Cross blood donor eligibility checklist lately?
I donate platelets regularly. By now, the medical technicians at my local Red Cross facility know more about me than my closest friends.
There are the sex questions, the drug questions, the have-you-spent-time-in-jail questions, the lists of where you have traveled and for how long… every single time I go – and I donate roughly twice a month!
It’s somewhat embarrassing and definitely tedious but – for now – it’s crucial…
Silent dangers
It’s simply not cost efficient – or in some cases, not even yet possible – to screen the blood, plasma or platelets of donors for all the threats that could be passed on to recipients.
Some, like West Nile virus, may reside unnoticed. In fact, some 80% of people infected show no symptoms at all.
But if a contaminated sample is passed on, especially to patients with already compromised immune systems, it could trigger meningitis, encephalitis, and other neuroinvasive diseases.
Then there’s Cytomegalovirus (CMV) which infects anywhere between 40 to 80% of Americans over 40 years of age. The infection is even more common in developing nations.
CMV is as common as chicken pox and is a member of the same herpesvirus family.
For most people, it remains “silent”. There are no signs or symptoms. But if it’s transfused to patients who are – or will be – immuno-suppressed, it could result in a host of horrid diseases including pneumonitis, chronic hepatitis, gastroenteritis, and chorioretinitis.
Then there’s the greatest disease risk to transfusion recipients… bacterial sepsis.
This is especially a problem with platelet donations.
Pre-screened for bacterial infection and only good for five days, platelets are stored at room temperature. This allows for the rapid growth of undetected bacteria, if present.
It is estimated that 1 in every 2,000 apheresis platelet concentrate units are contaminated.
Seek and destroy
Cerus Corporation is a biomedical company that uses an INTERCEPT Blood System to find and inactivate blood-borne pathogens in donated blood components to be used in transfusions.
The system is currently being used on both platelets and plasma collected in Europe and the Middle East.
Cerus is preparing for European Phase III clinical trials and will be working with the German Red Cross to commercialize their INTERCEPT system for red blood cells.
The company has just initiated Phase I clinical trials for the same system in the U.S.
The INTERCEPT red blood cell system uses the small molecule S-303 to bond with the nucleic acids of pathogens and prevent their replication. A pH change is required to allow the bonding and thereby blocking the DNA and RNA to prevent replication.
In other words, Cerus seeks and destroys transfusion-transmitted infections from viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
| Cerus Corporation 2411 Stanwell Drive Concord, CA 94520 USA Phone: 1-925-288-6000 http://www.cerus.com/ |
For platelets and plasma, the same result is achieved by using the molecule amotosalen HCI and ultraviolet A light instead of a pH change to block the replication of pathogens.
This technology could truly revolutionize blood component donation.
I recommend you buy shares of Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ:CERS) at or under $2. If this stock even reaches 50% of its 52-week high of $7.79, you could make gains of 100%… 200%… even 250% in 2009.
HOT STEM CELL STOCK #3: Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN)
A vaccine for cancer.
It’s the holy grail of medical research.
And Geron Corporation believes they’ve grasped it…
GRNVAC1
The repetitive DNA at the end of chromosomes is called the telomere and it is telomerase activity that stabilizes cancer cells and allows them replicate indefinitely.
The researchers at Geron believe they can instruct a patient’s immune system via autologous dendritic cells how to identify and attack cancer cells while sparing other, non-threatening cells. (Dendritic cells are the antigen-presenting leukocytes that initiate the primary immune response.)
They achieve this by introducing telomerase characteristics specific to cancer cells. An immune response then occurs when cells are found with those telomerase characteristics.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) entered an agreement with Geron for the exclusive research, development and commercialization of the company’s vaccines targeting telomerase.
In December of last year, Merck initiated a clinical trial of the Geron-created vaccine GRNVAC1.
GRNVAC2
Geron is collaborating with the University of Oxford on a variation to GRNVAC1 called, logically, GRNVAC2.
Instead of isolating dendritic cells in each patient, the researchers are attempting to produce them from human embryonic stem cells.
This could act to prevent an immune response against an antigen by instructing the immune system to tolerate it. The process is called “tolerizing.”
Tolerizing dendritic cells, given along with therapeutic cells from the same embryonic stem cell line, could avoid immune rejection.
And for those that already have cancer?
This company has not overlooked therapies…
As I mentioned earlier, it’s telomerase activity that stabilizes cancer cells and allows them replicate indefinitely.
Geron’s drug GRN13L seeks to inhibit telomerase activity, thereby destabilizing and causing the death of the cancer cells.
There are currently 15 medical centers enrolling patients for four clinical trials of this drug.
Cancer treatment isn’t the only use for this technology
Preclinical data on TAT2, a small molecule telomerase activator indicated that human CD8+ T-cells from HIV-infected donors exposed to TAT2 showed increased telomerase activity.
This in turn resulted in retardation of telomere shortening, increased T-cell proliferation, and enhanced critical antiviral functions against HIV-1.
The possibilities are endless
Geron is working on treatments for heart disease, spinal cord injury, osteoarthristis and more.
| Geron Corporation 230 Constitution Drive Menlo Park, CA USA Phone: 1-650-433-7700 http://www.geron.com/ |
It would take pages to describe the results of all of the tests and studies and trials of their various therapies, but you can find all that information on their website. Trust me, it’s worth a read.
This is really exciting stuff. We all benefit from the groundbreaking work of this company and those like it.
I recommend you buy shares of Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN) at or under $4.50 and keep it for the long haul. If even just one of these treatments gets approved, the upside will be substantial… maybe even 4-figure gains.
Other recommended reading…
- The TFN Complete Guide to Stem Cell Companies Part 1: Share prices above $50
- The TFN Complete Guide to Stem Cell Companies Part 2: Share prices between $10 and $50
- The TFN Complete Guide to Stem Cell Companies Part 3: Share prices between $1 and $10
- The TFN Complete Guide to Stem Cell Companies Part 4: Share prices below $1
Next Article: Happy Thanksgiving… and a glimpse of things to come
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November 27th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Worth reading
January 19th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
what about ACTC do your DD
January 20th, 2009 at 10:26 am
LOL patp! I did indeed check out ACTC. Tiny market cap but they have some pretty exciting stuff going on. Definitely a stock to watch.
February 7th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
#4 actc
May 10th, 2009 at 8:12 am
GERN is at 6.23 on may10/2009