I'm new to SI, but have been following BJCT for 9 years now. I have read all of the postings in this thread, and would like to throw in my $.02.
To J.Stone (10/1/97): BJCT's all time high was in the quarter ending 10/87, at $15.88 (Canadian). At the time, it was trading on the Vancouver exchange.
To Novice Investor (8/12/97): It is not true that "anything that can be done with a biojector can be done with a needle and syringe". In studies done at Oregon Health Sciences University, they took xray pictures of the dispersion patterns of dye injected into pigs. The needle/syringe produced a concentrated bubble of liquid. The biojector produced a "cloud" of dispersed dye. This makes the biojector a superior delivery system for DNA based vaccines, where bio-availability is an important consideration. Biojector injected fluids come into rapid contact with more cells.
To Michael Woodward (10/31/97): Elan is contractually constrained from a takeover for a period of 3 years. I asked Michael Sember about Elan's intentions, and he denied that Elan intended a takeover.
I have had the opportunity to chat with BJCT management and members of the board. I am very excited about their prospects for the future. With Elan as a "strong big brother", I believe that BJCT has a source for future funding needs.
The strongest market for the biojector has been public health, where patient compliance is worth money. More people show up for needle-free vaccinations. It has been very difficult getting into the doctor/hospital market because of the domination of HMO's and insurance companies. It's a hard sell.
However, I think that there has to be marketing potential from the patient up to the doctors. Needlephobia is a documented medical condition affecting at least 10% of the population. Check out "Needle Phobia: A Neglected Diagnosis" by James Hamilton, M.D. in the Journal of Family Practice, Vol 41, No. 2. Dr Hamilton's father died from a needlephobic reaction. I have spoken to management about this angle, but so far, nothing is being done along these lines.
Results for 98Q2 will be announced soon. Based on a conversation I had at the annual meeing, I am expecting $600,000+ in revenue from product sales. To me, revenue from product sales is starting to show the strong growth in market acceptance which we have all been hoping for. I also follow the unit sales of biojectors and syringes.
I am visiting the company on Thursday (they are offering a flu shot clinic for shareholders). Probably will get a chance to talk to management. If anyone has any questions, let me know.
Marc Kahn |
