Biotech Stock Tips

Best biotech stock can give more than 500% gain with in a short period.  When we say Biotech Stocks most of you should be remembering the recent gains made  some Biotech companies like HGSI and CTIC.  Few months back CTIC was going below .05 cents  and now it is riding at about $1.50. 

The Buzz Word “Biotech”

What are Biotech firms? Biotech firms primarily use genetic engineering.  Most of these companies are started with some solid idea to come up with some winning product.  Examples are cure for Cancer, AIDS etc…  There are different points to analyze a biotech company.  This is different from analyzing common stock like Microsoft or GE. 

Every Biotech or pharmacy company has to pass many hurdles before they come up with a successful product in the market. If you take the history of Biotech companies, most of them had been at the brink of Bankruptcy at one point of their life.  This is primarily due to the lack of income during the research and development stage of the product. It takes long to successfully develop, get approved by FDA and successfully market the product.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

All new drugs must go through a lengthy testing and approval process supervised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Each drug must complete three sets of clinical trials called Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III, typically running 18 months, two years, and three to four years, respectively. Products successfully completing the clinical trials are submitted to the FDA for marketing approval, a process usually taking one or two years to complete.

Given these timeframes, it’s best to focus on companies with at least two products in phase III trails or awaiting final FDA approval. More is better, and you want companies with a steady stream of products in all testing stages.

Burning Cash

Most biotech firms have few, if any, products already on the market generating income. Companies without income to cover expenses are said to be “burning cash.” Analysts often compare a company’s assets to its “burn rate” to determine how long the company can survive before running out of cash. They say it’s better to stick with companies with a least two years supply of cash on hand.

Partners

Most biotech products sound promising. However, it’s difficult to know if there are better competing products in the pipeline and the size of the potential market even if the product is successful. Small biotech companies usually form partnerships with large pharmaceutical firms to market their products. The existence of these partnerships means these in-the-know companies think highly enough of the product’s prospects to take on the marketing.

A last point to mention is beware of companies which are family business.  I have to add some negative marks for them!