Established pipeline suggestions
If taking big risks just isn’t on your docket over the next couple of years, then the good news is that there are plenty of safer and/or less volatile selections to choose from that already have established pipelines. Here are three additional companies I would suggest you consider.
- Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG): Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) has been an absolute beast of a stock in 2013, and it could be just getting started if the company is able to meet on its guidance issued in January during the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference. At that annual meeting, Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) noted its intentions to double its revenue, and triple EPS, by 2017 — all through organic growth and drug approvals. Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) has its blockbuster anemia drug Revlimid locked under patent protection for much of the remainder of this decade while its cancer drug Abraxane keeps racking up new indications. Already approved to treat metastatic breast cancer, and a first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer, Abraxane could also be well on its way to gaining approval in treating pancreatic cancer after improving PFS to 8.5 months from 6.7 months for the placebo in trials.
- Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX): Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX) shareholders also have plenty of reason to be dancing in the street over the past year, as its multiple myeloma cancer drug Kyprolis was approved in July, and its leading cancer treatment Nexavar, like Abraxane, continues to pile on the indications and positive data. Nexavar, which is co-developed with Bayer AG (ADR) (OTCMKTS:BAYRY), is already approved by the FDA to treat renal cell carcinoma and unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, but has shown promise in mid-stage trials in treating breast cancer, when combined with Roche Holding Ltd. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:RHHBY)’s Xeloda and delivered promising results in a late-stage thyroid cancer trial.
- Roche Holding Ltd. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:RHHBY): Finally, I’m not sure how any cancer discussion can be had where Roche Holding Ltd. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:RHHBY) isn’t a possibility. I don’t believe a single company appeared in more weekly Tackling Cancer series than Roche Holding Ltd. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:RHHBY), which has a current or pipeline treatment in nine of the 12 most-diagnosed cancer types. It aimed for a 10th with prostate cancer, but Avastin failed to provide any statistical significance there. Between Avastin, Herceptin, Zelboraf, Xeloda, and the dozens of other FDA-approved drugs in its pipeline, Roche Holding Ltd. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:RHHBY) is a steady growth story, and perhaps the Superman of all health-care companies when it comes to fighting cancer.
As we come to a close here, I hope you’ve gained some knowledge with this series about what’s going on with cancer research, and who some of the top players are in each cancer type. I know I’ve personally enjoyed digging into the latest treatments in each cancer type, and look forward to continued innovation throughout the health-care sector.
The article Tackling Cancer: Your Best Investing Ideas originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Sean Williams.
Fool contributor Sean Williams owns shares of Aeterna Zentaris, but has no material interest in any other companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen name TMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle @TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool owns shares of, and recommends, Exelixis. It also recommends Celgene and ImmunoGen.
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