Tuesday 25 June 2013

Ozbiotans

Apologies for the delay, but the truth is there has been little to report.

In fact, nothing to report is the theme for this post.

So far, this influenza season has been very slow. This should have been expected after last year's severe season, both here and in the northern hemisphere. This means that the recently reported commencement to LANI trials have picked the wrong year. My general guess, and there's no science to this, is that the severity of the epidemic not only affects numbers of infected people, but the severity of individual cases might also be affected. This is important in the context of the outcomes of the clinical studies: LANI will show the most improvement over placebo where the disease is at its most severe. In my view, the use of neuraminidase inhibitors is at its most effective in, or just before, ICU.

By the way, what ever happened to randomised trials of neuraminidase inhibitors in patients admitted to ICU with influenza? In all likelihood it's probably an unethical study now, but it would be worthwhile addition to the evidence for NI.

So, likely less Inavir sales next winter from Japan.

Nothing to report from the company either. Commencing LANI trials is a meaningless release. Not commencing them would be news.

No news is good news? No, it isn't. The market has been savage to BOTA: it is now at it's lows, with little support. Again BOTA didn't benefit from the general uplift in stocks through Jan-May, but fell when the Nasdaq fell.

The big problem is that it starts to become what it looks like: an underpriced cashbox with a single lucrative grant for a single marketable product.

I treat my contacts with other shareholders in strict confidence. However, I think I can make an exception for non-contact. So, my recent effort to discuss Ozbiota and our company with Hunter Hall has failed to generate a response. Hunter Hall have bigger problems with a very large redemption of funds (8%) called on them. This might put some selling pressure on their stocks, although they would be taking big losses on BOTA of they tried unloading on (or off) market right now.


The point I made to them? What impressed me with the activism by NABI institutional shareholders around the reverse merger was that what was good for the big shareholders was good for small shareholders. If a big holder thinks it can make gains at the expense of their smaller holders, they can - but it shrinks the pie for everyone. Institutions will do best when they do the right thing for all shareholders.

So, let's wait for the EOFY statements. Or any other statements. Or occasional signs of life.

If you know any other BOTA shareholders, ask them to email me at: ozbiotaATgmail.com- join up.

Regards


2 comments:

  1. I think the share price is def under pressure. Something I would look at is nabi shareholders selling out their positions. They do not know the company. A positive would be the accumulator. Are the accumulators retail or institutional? The market conditions have been poor, and it appears no need to chase bota at this time, my guess is a mix. There will be a gap up at some point, not sure when, but I would hazard a guess in a month. Equities that perform like this fall under three categories; 1)companies burning cash with long time horizons. 2) companies going bankrupt, 3)companies whose shareholders have given up after going through the Kubler-Ross model.

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    1. The Kubler Ross model!

      That would make most people in Ozbiota stuck at the anger stage?

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