Paul,
I appreciate your knowledge, but don't like the obvious intent to minimize my credibility and insult me by the atis vs. rain comment. I don't need anybody to love or hate what I say, as I'm just another individual investor, and even though with a medical background, don't invest solely in biotechs for the obvious reasons. Also, I'm not sure what you're basing the comment on other than the one day drop for RAIN, which serves no real place for any major discussion here, but I doubt you can look at it and tell me that this is some horrible losing company, nor do you have any idea as to how or when I invested in it to comment to try to insult my investing skills.
Second of all, I am not sure if everything you say about the products is totally correct. Dermagraft TC has the nylon mesh, but is only meant to be a temporary covering. I thought dermagraft had its dermal substitute actually grown on a resorbable matrix, allowing a permanent product without problems. I have not heard of any signs of major problems when using for treatment thus far either.
Also, although it may not be accurate to compare products based on costs per sheet...you're absolutely right. However, having to ship it rapidly also adds costs, although having to have a large industrial freezer to store dermagraft has its own innate costs. It actually is impossible to compare costs though, because apligraf isn't yet seeking the indication for diabetic foot ulcers, so there would be no way to know exactly how it would need to be applied to compare with how dermagraft is. Nevertheless, in the long haul, any product which cuts out other morbidity and hospitalizations ultimately saves money....compare treating with eight sheets of dermagraft on an outpatient basis with current treatments/complications/hospital costs, etc. Third party payors aren't always so concerned about long-term costs, as evidenced by having formularies which only include benadryl for antihistamine use, tricyclics for antidepressant use, or older antipsychotics(vs. newer ones with far fewer long-term risks, and as such costly complications), so it will take time for any new product to catch on.
We can all have agendas, whether it be David S. using scare tactics, which if what he is alluding to is correct he would be performing a large service if he would do more than give innuendo and make vague comments. If he is here to really help us, there is no reason to not give some substance. Either he has an agenda, wants to sound important and throw lots of big opinions around and say "I told you so", or simply heard some things which he simply didn't really understand from a scientific angle(which either means nothing or should truly worry all of us). My concern is that the latter could be the case, but usually someone interested in sharing this kind of concern genuinely doesn't use such above-it-all techniques, even if he is a professional(thought I heard once in the past that David is a hedge fund manager, but I wouldn't know, because any attempts at interaction in the past from my end have simply been ignored for the most part)....last I heard there are many professionals in the market who aren't perfect. You have obviously worked hard to keep up with ORG, and I truly hope you do well with it. There is no need to attack and get defensive with any post which doesn't agree with your opinion though. However, I do appreciate your constant interest to better learn and understand your investment.
I think for the most part I am going to only be minimally involved on this thread over the next few weeks, as I think things here are degenerating some, and I'd rather stick with actual discussion about the industry, competitors, and this company more, and there are many others here who know as much, if not more, than I do. I can tell you that I'm not selling at this time fwiw.
Regards,
Marshall |
