from the GAP board on SH
This was a post from last year. Still relevant in my opinion. The only
difference is the company is a year further along in their development. IE:
The collaboration with MD Bio sciences and the NCI and OHRI testing" I have just
recently happened upon this bulletin board and have read many of the posts.
Frankly, I'm astonished that few contributors seem to have done their homework
on this company. As one with a scientific background, I have been a bio tech
investor for years. I can say that I have made money in bio tech but rarely in
other fields such as high tech and mining. I've had some tremendous winners.
Having said that, bio tech is extremely tricky to negotiate even for the well
informed. This is not an area to tread blindly. Fortunes of many companies have
changed over and over through the years. Take a look at several established
Canadian bio techs - Biomira, Isotechnica, Conjuchem, Thera Technologies, QLT and
Neurochem just to name a few. These are all well-known bio techs that have seen
their stock run to unbelievable highs, fall back to pennies, run up again, fall
back again, run back up and so on and so on. Many, many average non scientific
people have made a lot of money on these companies. NB. Getting in early is the
way to go. <br><br>I've been following the Pharmagap story (along with others)
for a while. I would not have touched GAP until the last little while. However,
with today's news and the last 2-3 releases, the picture is starting to change
and I think this is one of the best early stage companies in Canada right now.
What I find impressive, is the following: Management Team - they have a
serious, well connected Chairman in Bryden (formerly Systemhouse, WorldHeart,
Ottawa Senators). This man doesn't blink and he does not suffer fools lightly.
He undoubtedly hired the top scientists in Canada to do his due diligence and
advise him before taking on GAP. He did not abandon the company even when the
stock was a nickel. Science Team-they have founding scientists with excellent
reputations internationally (see for yourself - do a citation search!) History -
The program came out of the National Research Council which most recently gave
us the best vaccine in the world to treat meningococcal infections in humans
worldwide and the first to be safely used in babies. This vaccine has made
hundreds of millions of$ . Longevity - They've been around for at least 5 years
and getting stronger as the news indicates. Strength in Biology - The company is
exploring a unique biology that may have huge ramifications not only in cancer
but in other diseases and applications including drug delivery and combination
therapies. They can stick to cancer and probably start licensing other
applications to big pharma creating a potential revenue and royalty stream.
Chemistry - Chemistry is the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical industry. Other
bio tech companies may understand their biology niche but haven't found a lead
molecule to take to the clinic. There are too many companies like that to count
and I would never buy into these companies. However, GAP is not only making
inroads to understanding the biology, they appear able to manipulate the
biology. GAP has modelled the relevant proteins and has generated and tested in
all likelihood many, many molecules until it found one that works particularly
well. It now has a lead molecule to move into the clinic as a drug. So they have
the biology and the chemistry. This is rare in a bio tech. Future Merger or
Acquisition? They've got biology, they've got the modelling, they've got
chemistry, they've got a molecule, once they have a successful clinical trial
under their belt, they will be acquired by someone with very deep pockets.
International Stature - they have gone international. They have the best
collaborators, including Sloan-Kettering, in cancer today. <br><br>A word on
Sloan-Kettering. Everyone trying to develop a cancer treatment, be it vaccine or
drug wants to work with Sloan-Kettering. However, you do not choose
Sloan-Kettering...Sloan-Kettering chooses you. Sloan-Kettering is arguably the
most esteemed cancer center in the U.S. today. The scientists are among the very
best worldwide working in cancer. The center fields hundreds of potential
projects and collaborations each year. They cannot possibly accept them all, but
only a fraction of them. Sloan-Kettering has a reputation to uphold. They only
pick the best scientists/companies with the best science and projects to work
with. Sloan-Kettering picks the projects with the highest potential for success.
They have picked Pharmagap and their scientists to work with. Scientists, more
than any one else, want to be winners and be associated with winners. This
pretty much says everything we need to know at this stage of the company's
growth and is enough for a knowledgeable person to start accumulating the stock. |
