Biocompatibles Share Discussion Threads

[tratante] 27/8/2009 11:22

Strong performance all round apart from the disappointments of the China licence adn the stroke trial. 70p of the share price accounted for by cash. Still looks good value.

[plutonian] 27/8/2009 08:56

My Highlights

Guidance on full year revenue and cash increased
Bead Products revenue increasing rapidly
Total revenue growth is healthy
Profits being re-invested in R&D
Operating loss reducing steadily (towards zero soon?)

Recruitment in the CellBeads stroke trial in not going well and completion has been delayed (again) until 2010.

[plutonian] 12/8/2009 16:26

The regulatory authority requires a small safety study to be conducted before approval in second half of 2010.

[plutonian] 30/7/2009 10:09

There is an initial £3m upfront payment, followed by unspecified milestone payments and double-digit royalties.

Eisai will be responsible for the costs of a limited safety study in Japanese patients. After regulatory approval they will market in Japan, where liver cancer is more prevalent than in the west.

[tratante] 19/6/2009 14:12

reassuring news from AGM:

The Chairman, Gerry Brown, made the following comments:

"Biocompatibles has made a good start to the year.

The Oncology Products Division is trading ahead of Board expectations, as a
result of stronger than budgeted sales of Drug-Eluting Beads and the benefit of
sterling weakness. Despite challenging conditions in the Brachytherapy market,
BrachySciences is showing good growth.

Our R&D Facilities have also made satisfactory progress. The GLP-1 Diabetes
programme is on plan. The completion of the pre-clinical programme and
initiation of the first clinical trials is expected in 2010.

The Board was pleased to pay the Company's first dividend of 5p per share on
22 May.

The Company reiterates its guidance on 2009 revenue in the range GBP22m to GBP24m and on closing net funds of GBP27m. The Board remains positive on the outlook for the rest of the year."

[graham142] 03/6/2009 14:13

Large investor increases stake too...

[tratante] 26/5/2009 12:52

Three directors buying shares - hopefully a portent of good things to come.

[tratante] 27/4/2009 12:48

Admittedly a small sample and single arm at this stage, but nervertheless excellent news on the treatment of this very aggressive cancer:

Professor Jean-Francois Geschwind, Professor of Radiology, Surgery and Oncology, has completed a trial in which the Drug-Eluting Bead was used to treat 20 patients with primary liver cancer (HCC or hepatocellular carcinoma) in a single arm trial. ... reported a tumour response rate of 90% at six months and adverse events within expected limits. This is a high response rate - especially in view of the fact that about half of the patients had higher risk co-morbidities, according to the current guidelines of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease

[plutonian] 17/4/2009 14:56

The says revenue is ahead of Board expectations, but FY guidance has not been revised.

If you have half an hour to spare have a listen to for a good overview of the business.

There is also a recent in the news archive that provides some shocking valuations.

[jamdon2] 30/3/2009 18:52

thanks guys that's helped to explain a lot, looked like the news had neutral on the share value today, hopefully they will continue to gradually increase in value.
i also wonder how tight are their patents, to ask a dragon question how
easy could it be for a chinese or indian to copy the product? as they do so
regular with drugs

[plutonian] 30/3/2009 11:56

some background on the drug-eluting stent market...

Biocompatibles had licensed Abbott to use their coating in the ZoMaxx stent and Abbott sub-licensed the technology to Medtronic for their Endeavor stent.

In April 2006 Boston Scientific acquired the major part of Guidant. In order to comply with anti-trust legislation some bits were sold separately. Abbott ended up with the Xience (everolimus-eluting) stent as a result, but Boston Scientific negotiated a deal to market the stent under the name Promus (along side their own Taxus stent). There was not much point in Abbott marketing 2 similar products and since the competing Medtronic stent used the same drug (Zotarolimus) ZoMaxx was dropped - a bombshell for Biocompatibles.

Around this time there were a number of studies that raised safety issues (thrombosis) with drug eluting stents. This should have been a boost for Medtronic since the biocompatible coating was designed specifically to reduce thrombosis, but it was not ready yet and it looked like the bottom might fall out of the drug eluting stent market.

The drug-eluting stent manufacturers are fighting back with competing comparative trials. Johnson & Johnson are getting dirty with IMHO a flawed trial (Sort Out III) showing safety issues with Endeavor against their Cypher (sirolimus-eluting) stent. Medtronic are countering with a couple of their own trials (ENDEAVOR IV and PROTECT). Time will tell who gets the largest market share, but IMHO Medtronic have the edge and have certainly worried their larger competitors.

Anyhow, we have much more interesting things to look forward to from Biocompatibles. The stent income is good to kick off the dividend and hopefully will last many years. By then the dividend should be well covered by other income streams.

[tratante] 30/3/2009 09:18

Perhaps, but BII is getting royalty income from Abbott Laboratories on sales of Medtronic's Endeavor® Drug-Eluting Stent, not Xience.

[jamdon2] 29/3/2009 15:58

hi i am a novice investor and hold some bii shares, i wonder if this is a plus or minus for bii given that abbots have some royalty agreements with abbotts any views before the market opens?

[tratante] 24/3/2009 08:38

Dividend over 4%, better than a building society!

[tratante] 19/3/2009 09:02

Thanks RA, would you care to elaborate?

[red army] 18/3/2009 17:11

Yes, the only show in town IMHO is BII as the story is strong and credible.

[tratante] 12/3/2009 09:00

Anyone able to attend last evening and can post a summary?

[squeaky] 11/3/2009 21:52

Has the management changed much since the sell out to the yanks some years ago.
Major asperations then,i see they are now paying a divy?
Whats your take on things as they are now 2Bob,been a long time!!

[cumnor] 11/3/2009 19:52

bought 3k more yesterday think its a reasonable punt esp with cash and now more diectors buys did one buy 99k if so a vote of confidence perhaps news in a week or two

[tratante] 11/3/2009 13:59

More director buys. Interesting to hear what they say tonight, although presumably all news is out there if directors can buy.

[cumnor] 05/3/2009 14:28

While the banks look look tempting at present I am staying away and trying to stick to cos that are not too exciting and below the radar or ignored. This looks half decent company on the surface, with director buys, cash not far off mrkt cap and revenue with potential for decent profits and poss of take out or lift off if oncology tx prove really effective. Bought 7000 for lt term hold whatever near term fluctations. Anyone know if outstanding debt, warrants or any big institutional shareholders.

[tratante] 05/3/2009 09:16

A cheap night out and you can buy more shares at a bargain price with the money you save!

[andy] 02/3/2009 23:38

BII, SEE, and ATD, are presenting in London 11th March!

Good opportunity to watch the latest presentation, then meet the management informally, over canapés and wine.

This is a first class hotel, registration is free, as are the post presentation refreshemnts!





5 minutes walk from Green Park tube, 10 minutes from Bond Street.

Early registration is advised.

[aim_trader] 09/2/2009 09:55

The directors of Asterand (LSE: ATD) Seeing Machines (AIM: SEE) and Biocompatibles (LSE: BII) will be presenting:

Wednesday the 11th March 2009
Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel, 35 Charles Street, Mayfair, W1J 5EB

The presentations will start at 6:00pm and finish at 7:30pm. After the presentations are complete the directors will also be available to take questions during a free canape and wine reception. Details on the presenting companies can be found below.



Biocompatibles (LSE:BII)
Biocompatibles International plc is a leading company in the field of drug-device combination products. The Oncology Products Division conducts the marketing of Biocompatibles' approved oncology products. These include products that are used for the treatment of primary liver cancer (HCC), liver metastases from colorectal cancer and prostate cancer. Our R&D Facilities are engaged in licensing and in new product development for oncology, stroke, and diabetes and obesity. We have collaborative agreements with AstraZeneca, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Medtronic Inc.

[bongo bwana] 07/2/2009 21:19

Does BII have warrants available at present?

If so what is their current Bid Offer?

Many thanks in advance.