Aortech Share Discussion Threads

[cocker] 29/7/2013 20:20

Love, the answer to that is obviously no as a lot of big holders & possibly directors refuse to add to their holdings. To me that speaks volumes.

[loverat] 29/7/2013 20:12

It just seems to me that this company had some potentially great products but they have failed to exploit them. They appear to be forever in litigation also which suggests that the company has issues about nailing down and implementing agreements. It also appears that the cash is depleted due to many of the problems and there is not much left in the cupboard.

Does anyone think these are worth a punt at this low level?

[1400] 29/7/2013 19:56

By the way, if they are worthless, then it's outrageous if Frank is still on the payroll. I think you would all agree with that!

[1400] 29/7/2013 16:02

Over the last ten years we have signed approximately eighteen different license agreements. Some came with small monies upfront but most with none. In some cases the then current market value of the end product was quoted in the 100s millions of dollars. St Judes' ran into the billions. They covered spinal disc, urological, gastroenterological, catheters, orthpaedic and others with the last being medical sensors. I could have spelled them all out individually but I didn't because I just got more and more angry.

This is our WTF moment! WHAT T F HAPPENED? Were they all baseless? Surely some have value? I think we need to know. And now, it's time.

[papillon88] 29/7/2013 13:42

Lower and lower we go!! Another 5% drop today.
What exactly was the purpose of Roy Mitchell being appointed?
the share price has fallen 30% since his appointment.
Cant be much left in cash 7 months after the STJ resolution but Im sure what ever is left the directors will make sure they get.
Another AIM listed company where directors ineptitude is rewarded.

[loverat] 29/7/2013 13:14

This company looks truly hopeless. Back down and to a new low I think.

[papillon88] 23/7/2013 22:34

1400,
The directors made 100% return on the loan notes. Have they used any of the proceeds from the gains to buy shares?
Answer that and you will have the answer to your question.

[1400] 23/7/2013 21:17

Is this a business anymore? tfbtffof

[papillon88] 04/7/2013 08:56

Bad news for us...
Share price going lower!!

[gac141] 18/6/2013 17:16

St. Jude Medical's Durata implantable cardiac defibrillator leads should be "relatively immune" to the problems that led to a recall for the medical cdevice company's Riata ICD leads, according to a cardiologist who helped bring the Riata problems to light.


St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ) pulled its Riata implantable cardiac defibrillator leads in 2010 after mounting evidence suggested that the Riata leads were prone to abrading through their insulation. The move cast a pall over over St. Jude's newer ICD lead offerings, the Riata ST Optim and Durata leads.

A year later 2 Riata models were officially recalled, contributing to the concerns about the Riata ST Optim and, especially, the Durata leads. St. Jude sought to allay the concerns by pointing out that the silicon insulation on the newer leads is thicker and more durable than their predecessors'.

This month 1 of the cardiologists who helped call attention to the problems with the Riata leads, Dr. Ernest Lau, said the Durata and ST Optim leads are probably "immune" to the problems that led to the Riata recall.

[loverat] 31/5/2013 11:25

What is this company now worth then given the recent statement.

Anyone want to have a stab?

[spurious] 31/5/2013 11:00

Congrats on a sensible appointment and Im sure Roy will bring a much needed sense of urgency and focus in realising shareholder value. Hopefully the underlying situation is much better than the grey and barren landscape painted by an update that told shareholders very little and did nothing to instal confidence that real progress was being made.
I suspect the truth may be significantly more positive so lets hope for more regular updates that put long suffering shareholders truly in the picture and get the share price back over the pound

[gac141] 31/5/2013 08:21

Welcome to Roy! I am very pleased to see his appointment to the board.

The update was very low key and did not get a great deal from it so I am slightly disappointed in the 5 months progress. Communication has been slower than I would have expected and this was compounded by the lack of real information in the update.

[1400] 30/5/2013 16:37

Can't agree with you on that one. Ongoing negotiations regarding the sale or partnership of the heart valve technology probably negate director purchases. The only administrator/nurse needed is the one to take care of Frank!

[papillon88] 30/5/2013 16:12

The biggest clue we got that this was going no where was when directors received 100% return on loan notes and did not buy any shares. Even at these levels they are staying well clear
Can't imagine it will be long till administrators are appointed.

[harrogate] 30/5/2013 06:35

And mine too..I can't say the update gave any confidence at all that a deal or deals are close that will put us out of our misery here which is what I was hoping for even if the price was nowhere near the fanciful figures of a few montha ago. Given they are not manufacturing anymore, we have just had the news that the material has worked well in the StJ leads( which was good publicity) and we clearly can't be spending any money on technology development it is hard to see our IP getting more valuable over time ..so if there is a deal we need to get it done.

[1400] 29/5/2013 15:04

I am totally fed up with this mess and all the bs I've been told over the years. What a giant waste of time and money. I'm pleased Roy is representing us on the board and I just ask please settle the sale so we can all move on. The thought of resurrecting the business is not what I want to hear. Just my thoughts!

[harrogate] 14/5/2013 13:57

Hi ..Thanks for that ..must be good news for the discussions that we hope are going on !!

[gac141] 14/5/2013 13:52

Good News for STJ's Durata
by Zacks Equity Research
May 14, 2013


St. Jude Medical Inc. ( STJ - Analyst Report ) announced encouraging results regarding the
highly controversial Durata and Riata ST Optim implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) leads from an independent research. The research was conducted by renowned health science research institute Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) and presented at the Heart Rhythm 2013.

PHRI analyzed more than 11,000 leads from the Optimum, Score and SJ4 Post-Approval registries, sponsored by STJ. Initial results from the study demonstrated that the Optim-insulated leads are 99.9% free from insulation abrasion and 99.4% free from mechanical failure after 5 years of implant.

ICDs are used to treat abnormal heart rates, which might lead to sudden cardiac deaths (SCD). St. Jude's latest ICD offerings include the FDA-approved Durata SJ4 and the Durata high-voltage leads. These leads along with the Riata ST Optim lead feature St. Jude's exclusive Optim insulation, which has demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of insulation abrasion in comparison to the previous generation silicone insulated leads.

Our Take

St. Jude had received a warning letter from the FDA in Jan 2013 for its Sylmar facility, which manufactures the Durata and Riata ST Optim leads. The FDA is concerned that the newer generation high-voltage Durata leads might face the same problem as the Riata leads, which the company recalled in 2011 due to insulation failure.

Positive data from the independent PHRI is encouraging as it indicates that the high-margin Durata ICD leads from St. Jude's core Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) business are safe and reliable.

St. Jude's CRM division is still underperforming, reflecting underlying end-market pressure. Revenues from the CRM division fell 8% year over year in the first quarter of 2013. ICD sales declined 5% in the first quarter but we believe that market trends will stabilize soon on the back of new products.

St. Jude's peer Boston Scientific ( BSX - Analyst Report ) also reported disappointing CRM
sales in the first quarter of 2013, indicating sustained softness in the CRM market.

The positive news regarding Durata and the recent CE Mark approval of new products sparked market optimism as shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock achieved a new 52-week high, touching $43.86 on Friday, May 10, above its previous 52-week high of $43.76. Orthopedic major, Stryker Corporation ( SYK - Analyst Report ) also attained a new 52-
week high of $67.36 on May 9.