March 3, 2022 4:48pm

The gene editing patent reversal rewrites the genes of CRISPR's commercial and share pricing futures

Pre-open indications: 3 Hits, 2 Miss and 1 Pimp/Pump/Promote

What I provide is an intelligence daily. RMi outlines a daily bell weather of “indications” about what you need to know; it’s what could happen or materialize after the opening and what might happen during the session.

Daily perspective …

Who else is tracking a broad grouping of cell and gene therapy equities – can you afford to not read the facts supported by real numbers?

If I have learned one thing as a former research analyst, venture and public fund investor now a journalist; it is that your life and your bank account are largely tied to your knowledge of price movements and questioning pricing targets.

 

The Dow closed DOWN -96.69 points (-0.29%); the S&P closed DOWN -23.05 points (-0.53%) while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -214.07 points (-1.56%)

 

Henry’omics:

Indexes fell on Thursday but, started to re-climb at 12;30 p.m. as markets slowed and investors monitored the war in Ukraine.

The moves come after a volatile start to the week, with markets seeing sharp reversals in some sectors.

The percentage of fund managers who believe stagflation will set in within the next 12 months stood at 30%, compared with 22% last month, a survey from BofA Global Research showed. <Reuters>

 

52-week lows:

  • Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM) a low of $1.25
  • Cellectis SA (CLLS) a low of $4.04,
  • bluebird bio (BLUE) a low of 5.41
  • Solid Biosciences (SLDB) a low of $0.77

 

Economic Data Docket: jobless claims for last week came in at 215,000. That was lower than the 225,000 expected by economists. The reading comes ahead of February’s highly-anticipated jobs report, which will be released Friday.

Data showed a measure of U.S. services industry activity dropped to a one-year low in February and employment contracted.

 

RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: “on the gene editing merry-go-round” … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/12325

 

RegMed/Stem/Cell and Gene therapy’s 35 covered equities’ Advance/Decline (A/D) lines: what happened …

  • Thursday opened negative at 8 up/25 downs, 3 flats, slipped further at 10 a.m. 2/33 and 1flat, stayed negative at the mid-day at 5/31, ending with a negative close of 5/30 and 1 flat;

 

Pre-open Indications: 3 Hits < Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$6.40), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -$13.42), Caribou Therapeutics (CRBU -$0.51)> 2 Miss < Editas Medicine (EDIT -$0.41), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$4.59)>

 

UC Berkeley loses CRISPR patent case, invalidating licenses it granted gene-editing companies https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/12320 - added more commentary

RegMed/Cell and Gene Therapy Earnings Scorecard Q4/21 and FY21 Results … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/11628  … (BEAM)

 

The Biostage (BSTG) Chronicles: shows how the “pimp/pump and promote” works on Thursday as 487 shares traded moving the share price +$0.25 after Wednesday as 649 shares appeared pushing the share price +$0.34 after Tuesday as 3,271 shares appear raising the share price +$0.59 to have it close -$0.04 with an additional 278 shares traded after Monday with 687 shares traded +$0.37 just before the close

  • WHO is BUYING these shares of a company with a 3-year-old IND, NO clinical trial initiation, a terminal death lawsuit overhang and a dwindling cash position?
  • By use of the pump/promote process; is BSTG preparing to register the outstanding private placement (PP) shares for a reverse to initiate an offering - they’re NOT going ANYWHERE without a cash inflow.

 

Key Metrics:

  • Thursday - Sector volume was LOW with 1 of the 5-upside having higher than the 3-month average volume with LOW volume of 5 of 30-downside having higher than the 3-month average volume

The iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology (IBB) and the SPDR S&P ETF (XBI) indicators:

  • Thursday   the IBB closed down -1.29% and XBI closed down -3.09%

The CBOE Volatility Index (VVIX: INDEX) tracked:

  • Thursday was down -0.12 points or -0.39% at 30.62

 

Jumping with share pricing momentum (4 of 4):

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$1.87 after Wednesday’s +$0.69 after Tuesday’s +$4.66),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$0.55 after Wednesday’s +$0.44 after Tuesday’s +$0.21),
  • Biostage (BSTG +$0.25 after Wednesday ’s +$0.34),
  • Pluristem (PSTI +$0.03),

Hammered in today’s market (10 of 30):

  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -$13.42 after Wednesday’s +$4.54 after Tuesday’s -$19.00),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$6.40 after Wednesday’s +$0.70, Tuesday’s -$4.85 and Monday’s -$3.60)
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$4.59 after Wednesday’s +$1.34 after Tuesday’s -$3.93),
  • Ultragenyx (RARE -$3.34),
  • Vericel (VCEL -$2.50 after Wednesday’s +$2.63 after Tuesday’s -$0.42),
  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE -$1.92 after Wednesday’s +$0.55 after Tuesday’s -$0.13),
  • Sage Therapeutics (SAGE -$1.26),
  • uniQure NV (QURE -$1.22 after Wednesday’s +$0.64 after Tuesday’s +$0.49),
  • ReNeuron (RENE.L -$0.75 after Wednesday’s -$1.00 after Tuesday’s -$1.00),
  • Regenxbio (RGNX -$0.74 after Wednesday’s +$2.67 after Tuesday’s +$0.24),

Closing flat:

  • 1 – Caladrius Biosciences CLBS)

 

March, Q1/2022:

  • Thursday closed negative with 5 incliners, 30 decliners and 1 flat
  • Wednesday closed positive with 20 incliners, 13 decliners, 1 flat and 1 acquired
  • Tuesday closed negative with 15 incliners, 18 decliners, 1 flat and 1 acquired

 

The BOTTOM LINE: Was the cell and gene therapy sector the target of an upside algorithmic hit – you betcha!

As volumes were very low …

Look at the VIX, the fear gauge; it is at 30.62 - that doesn't always mean the market's going down, but it means there's a very high level of uncertainty … although the cell and gene therapy sector’s volume remains LOW.

Gene editing investors are still swimming down stream with Editas Medicine (EDIT +$0.06), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -$13.42), Beam therapeutics (BEAM -$6.40), Caribou Therapeutics (CRBU -$0.51) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$4.59) trading, post the U.S. patent office ruled the Broad Institute patent was “more” valid than UC Berkely. (Read more … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/12320)

Remember the adage, “It takes two to make a market"; that’s sellers and buyers.

I am always anticipating the risks – as my careers focus has been “warning analysis”.

Q4 and end-of-year earnings are gaming than even I thought.

Earnings’ reporting coming:

·         Athersys (ATHX), Tuesday, 3/15

·         Cellectis SA (CLLS) Thursday, 3/22

Who is defining the metrics for investors and keeping you notified of the sector and market fluctuations?  What I provide is a trusted source of share pricing intelligence – it’s more than opinion, I deal in the facts and numbers that back them up.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the author and are subject to change, and not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results, nor investment advice.

Whether information or intelligence is good, bad or somewhere in between; I put into context what is relevant and useful for investors.  All investments are subject to risks. Investors should consider investment objectives.

Henry McCusker, the editor and publisher of RegMed Investors does not hold or have positions in securities referred to in this publication.

Regulation Analyst Certification (Reg AC): The research analyst primarily responsible for the content of this report certifies the following under Reg AC: I hereby certify that all views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about the subject company or companies and its or their securities. I also certify that no part of my compensation was, is or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in this report.