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Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Medivation Inc: A Miracle Cure?

If you're a cautious investor, Medivation Inc.(AMEX: MDV) probably isn't for you. The company has yet to bring in any revenues, and it will be operating at a loss for at least another couple years. Given all of this, you might be surprised to hear that the stock price rose more than 400% in 2006, and is still trading well above its 52-week low of $2.75.

Investors have been buying this company because of Dimebon, which recently finished very promising phase II testing for Alzheimer's. The patients taking Dimebon had improved memory and cognitive abilities, and if the drug continues to do well in its testing, it could become one of the most successful new drugs in a very long time. Right now the other Alzheimer's drugs can only slow down deterioration; a drug that reverses
these symptoms would be very popular, especially with a Baby Boom generation getting closer to its dotage.

MDV is planning a global phase 3 round of testing in 2008, and it hopes to have the drug up for marketing approval by 2010. Some investors are frustrated with this rather long schedule, and the stock lost some value
after MDV announced its plans. Some people feel the CEO, Dr. David Hung,overhypes his products, while others think he's a visionary scientist who could revolutionize the treatment of Alzheimer's.

Obviously, this is a risky stock and you're going to have to hold it for a while before MDV starts making money (its other main drug, which treats prostate cancer, is also in early stages of testing). But the upside is tremendous if things go well, and if you have some money to risk, this might be a great bet.

Type of stock:
A small pharmaceutical company with a drug that could be a huge windfall.

Price target: If you're interested in buying this and holding for the long term, I think you need to buy at a time when you'll minimize your losses if things don't go well. Without any major testing coming anytime soon, it's possible some investors will get tired and sell, and we could see the price drop to near $10. I think if you can buy this for $12 or less, it's worth the risk.

hilaryonstocks at 3:38:00 PM EST Blog about this entry
This entry has 3 comments: (Add your own)
  • #3 Comment from granderee 
    2/1/07 10:08 PM Permalink
    you were right on about this stock,hillary and the two respodents did not know what they were talking about.made good money on this one.
  • #2 Comment from eegg447 
    2/1/07 12:06 AM Permalink
    Yes, thanks, and maybe....
    Anyone considering investing in MDV might also want to check out some other small bio-pharmas w/ "promising" drugs in the (long-term) pipeline; for example, Hemispherx Biopharma (HEB) and its Ampligen drug for treating chronic-fatigue syndrome and other conditions/maladies.  These companies might well cause queasy tummys in the short-term, but there are already plenty of drugs on the market for THAT, and the long-term potential could make for Real Profit.  But gessli8040 does make a good point here.  Hope I remember it!  LOL.  :-)
  • #1 Comment from gessli8040 
    1/31/07 7:40 PM Permalink
    Thanks, but no.
    By the time the stock is finally "ripe" for cashing, I may be an  Alzheimer patient myself and will be too forgetful to sell it for profit!!