Is it the Right Time to Buy Biotechnology Investments?

July has been a good month for biotech investors. Share prices in the biotech sector as measured by the NYSE Biotechnology Index are up 24% compared to the 6.6% gain for the S&P 500. Earlier in the month, Amgen (AMGN) reported better-than-expected results from a trial of its experimental bone-protecting drug denosumab in patients with advanced breast cancer. Amgen’s shares vaulted 16% on the news.

In the week just ended, the momentum in biotech shares has continued further. While a host of favorable clinical trial results was the bigger driver, a large buyout announcement added the icing to the cake.

Clinical Trial Results

Bringing back memories of the dotcom era, shares of Human Genome Sciences (HGSI) rose nearly 300% to .50 a share after the company reported favorable results for its experimental lupus drug Benlysta. Targacept (TRGT) shares more than doubled to .25 a share after its depression drug candidate met its goals in a mid-stage trial. Onyx Pharmaceutical (ONXX) reported encouraging results for its breast cancer treatment Nexavar to push its shares higher by 21%. Shares of Celgene (CELG) jumped nearly 16% after the company announced significant improvement in progression-free survival of patients taking Revlimid as a first-line treatment for multiple myeloma.

Buyout

Continuing the trend of major pharma-biotech mergers, as in Roche (RHHBY.PK)-Genentech, and Eli Lilly (LLY)-ImClone, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) announced it is buying Medarax (MEDX) for a share. The Medarex takeover implies a net price tag of over billion. Medarax shares jumped nearly 90% on the announcement.

Is it too Late to Board the Biotech Bandwagon?

Given strong gains in biotech shares in recent weeks, it is logical to ask if it is too late to get on the biotech bandwagon. I believe the answer, generally speaking, is no. Notwithstanding uncertainties surrounding health care reform, the fundamentals for biotech companies are reasonably favorable. Yet, one needs to take appropriate care in getting the timing right and in choosing proper investment vehicles.

Fundamentals

Several factors favor the long-term growth of biotech companies. These include an aging population, rising incidence of cancer and other degenerative diseases, and growing recognition that biotech products offer the best solutions for management of these diseases.

Several biotech drugs like Roche’s Avastin and Amgen’s Enbrel have the potential of becoming major blockbuster drugs by 2014. Biotech companies are seeking to expand uses of their approved drugs to treat more diseases. And, unlike drugs made by major pharmaceutical companies, biotech drugs

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The History of Generic Drugs

The history and the story of generic drugs is very long. But as a layman, all we need to understand clearly is that these generic drugs are nothing but “general drugs” or you can say cheap representation of original drugs. Basically to make a drug requires years of research in the laboratory first and then once prepared the drug has to undergo many clinical and market tests. All in all to put it the entire point from the point of view of consumer, the process of drug making is not only hugely time consuming but also very – very expensive.

Before these drugs are launched in the market, they need to have a patent. There after they are presented before the market for sale. The problem with these drugs is that they are exorbitantly priced for the company has to make for all the investments it did for the drug. It is at this juncture that the Generic drugs come to the seen.

Generic drugs do not have patent protection and that makes the generic drugs cheaper because they don’t have to waste time and money in patenting process. Generic drugs though maintain the original formula and active ingredients of the originally researched drug. Generic drugs just take a short cut to patenting process and the research process and these two factors make all the difference in the cost of the generic drug.

For the consumer, generic drugs are a boon. Economically weaker section of society that also includes a large percentage of older population is hugely benefited by the generic drugs. These generic drugs have the same composition yet are much cheaper than the original drugs. Being affordably priced these generic drugs can be easily purchased by the economically weaker section of society who would have otherwise ailed through the illness due to costly drugs.

Generic drugs are identical to the original drug in all aspects, be it dose, strength or effect. Generic drugs have a hugely competitive market and this in turn is beneficial for the consumers in the form of reduced prices. Generic drugs are the bio equivalent version of original drug. This simply means that they are identical in composition and formulation to original drug. Generic drugs are not much different than the brand named drug, except actually the brand name. In fact generic drugs are much more common and widely used.

Generic drugs are a boon in disguise, both for the consumer and the

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