This has been called "The Century of Biology" since even before the Human Genome Project was successfully completed in 2003.
But only ten years in, this was the conclusion of Clive Cookson writing in the Financial Times in March of 2010...
"It is clear now that 21st-century bioscience has not delivered clinical and other results as quickly as some optimists -- or hype-merchants -- had expected. Medicine and healthcare have changed little over the decade, while the physics-based information technology industries have transformed people's lives."
Well, what a difference only five years can make. In the healthcare investing circles I am involved with, we talk daily about two new breakthroughs that sound nearly like science fiction. One is already helping people and the other could only be a few years away from curing inherited disease.
Continued . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investor Alert: Breakthroughs Pending
A medical advance is now at the flashpoint between theory and realization. Billions of dollars in research have been poured into it. Companies are already generating substantial revenue, and even more wondrous products are in the pipeline.
The prospects for cures are almost unimaginable. So are the potential profits for early investors.
Zacks just released a Special Report that shows how to take advantage of this trend with 5 stocks to buy now. Deadline to download: Midnight Sunday, October 8.
See the Stocks Now >>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teaching Your Body to Fight Its Own Cancer
The first big breakthrough of the 21st century is called "immuno-oncology" where researchers are learning to teach a person's own immune system to fight his or her cancer.
That's the nefarious thing about cancer. It tricks your body's immune system into not recognizing it. But scientists in university labs and at biotechnology companies big and small have been hard at work on cracking the chemical codes of communication between human T-cells, the body's disease warriors, and cancer cells.
One of these "immuno-therapies" is called CAR-T, a technology which uses chimeric antigen receptors to activate T-cells. And one company I've followed for a while in this space, where we just locked in 70% gains in my Healthcare Innovators portfolio, is Juno Therapeutics (JUNO). Here's how they describe their science...
Juno is focused on revolutionizing medicine by re-engaging the body's immune system to treat cancer. Founded on the vision that the use of human T cells as therapeutics will drive one of the next important phases in medicine, we are developing cell-based cancer immunotherapies based on our chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and high-affinity T cell receptor (TCR) technologies to genetically engineer T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells. We have shown compelling evidence of tumor shrinkage in clinical trials using multiple cell-based product candidates to address refractory B-cell lymphomas and leukemias. Longer term, Juno aims to develop our cell-based platform to include additional product candidates to address a broad range of cancers and human diseases.
Why is this such a huge discovery? The answer is probably obvious if you or anyone you know has had cancer and gone through surgery, radiation treatment, or chemotherapy. Those "cures" are painful, risky, and don't always work.
To genetically engineer a patient's own T cells to recognize and attack cancer is a revolutionary and most welcome breakthrough in oncology treatment.
While this science is still in its early stages, the clinical results have been inspiring and gaining FDA "fast-track" designation to speed the R&D process. And speaking of inspired, Gilead Sciences (GILD) is so excited about this frontier that they just plunked down $12 billion for a leading player, Kite Pharma (KITE).
I was also inspired this spring to buy more of these companies, besides JUNO, for my new Healthcare Innovators portfolio.
But the next frontier is one I am equally excited about, yet just beginning to explore for its investment potential as the R&D "proof of concept" is still not conclusive for humans.
Gene Editing: Entering the Realm of Fantastic Possibilities
Some people are against genetically-modified food, or experiments that alter animal species. But more of us should take an interest in the possibilities of altering human genetic destiny.
While the war to cure cancer in bold new ways using the body's immune system is welcome by most, a quieter revolution has been applying its scientific secrets in a more controversial way to potentially cure inherited diseases.
The breakthrough is called genome editing. Not only will it pay for you to understand this complex and controversial science, especially as you'll be seeing and hearing more news stories and debate about the latest discoveries and achievements, but it could pay us as investors too.
Because whether everyone agrees or not, this science will move forward and many committed researchers will be hot on the trail of curing or preventing disease at the genetic level.
Billions of dollars have already been invested by large pharmaceutical companies and this trend will only grow because the potential outcomes in terms of cures and healthcare cost savings are very sizable.
Genome editing is already being used to modify human blood cells that are then put back into the body to treat conditions including leukemia and AIDS. It could also potentially be used to treat other infections and simple genetic conditions such as muscular dystrophy and hemophilia.
5 Stocks to Ride the Breakthrough
I've prepared a Zacks Special Report to help you capitalize on this new frontier of medicine.
It's titled Cures and Riches: 5 Stocks for the Life-Saving, Fortune-Building Promise of Gene Editing and you're invited to download it today.
Of course, it's critically important to not simply invest in companies involved with gene editing but to pick the right ones at the right time. For me, 5 companies have the best breakout potential in this fast-emerging space.
One has 2 product candidates that were recently granted FDA Fast Track designation. Another is developing a potential game-changer for cystic fibrosis in addition to its gene editing initiatives. And 3 other stocks offer comparable excitement to early investors.
Please note that the deadline to download this report is midnight Sunday, October 8.
Check out these stocks right now >>
Good Investing,
Kevin Cook
Kevin, Senior Stock Strategist at Zacks, is a leading expert in biotech and medical stocks. He provides commentary and recommendations for Healthcare Innovators and TAZR portfolios, and today is making available his newly released Special Report, Cures and Riches: 5 Stocks for the Life-Saving, Fortune-Building Promise of Gene Editing.
Image: Bigstock
2 Medical Breakthroughs Set to Reward Early Investors
This has been called "The Century of Biology" since even before the Human Genome Project was successfully completed in 2003.
But only ten years in, this was the conclusion of Clive Cookson writing in the Financial Times in March of 2010...
"It is clear now that 21st-century bioscience has not delivered clinical and other results as quickly as some optimists -- or hype-merchants -- had expected. Medicine and healthcare have changed little over the decade, while the physics-based information technology industries have transformed people's lives."
Well, what a difference only five years can make. In the healthcare investing circles I am involved with, we talk daily about two new breakthroughs that sound nearly like science fiction. One is already helping people and the other could only be a few years away from curing inherited disease.
Continued . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investor Alert: Breakthroughs Pending
A medical advance is now at the flashpoint between theory and realization. Billions of dollars in research have been poured into it. Companies are already generating substantial revenue, and even more wondrous products are in the pipeline.
The prospects for cures are almost unimaginable. So are the potential profits for early investors.
Zacks just released a Special Report that shows how to take advantage of this trend with 5 stocks to buy now. Deadline to download: Midnight Sunday, October 8.
See the Stocks Now >>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teaching Your Body to Fight Its Own Cancer
The first big breakthrough of the 21st century is called "immuno-oncology" where researchers are learning to teach a person's own immune system to fight his or her cancer.
That's the nefarious thing about cancer. It tricks your body's immune system into not recognizing it. But scientists in university labs and at biotechnology companies big and small have been hard at work on cracking the chemical codes of communication between human T-cells, the body's disease warriors, and cancer cells.
One of these "immuno-therapies" is called CAR-T, a technology which uses chimeric antigen receptors to activate T-cells. And one company I've followed for a while in this space, where we just locked in 70% gains in my Healthcare Innovators portfolio, is Juno Therapeutics (JUNO). Here's how they describe their science...
Juno is focused on revolutionizing medicine by re-engaging the body's immune system to treat cancer. Founded on the vision that the use of human T cells as therapeutics will drive one of the next important phases in medicine, we are developing cell-based cancer immunotherapies based on our chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and high-affinity T cell receptor (TCR) technologies to genetically engineer T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells. We have shown compelling evidence of tumor shrinkage in clinical trials using multiple cell-based product candidates to address refractory B-cell lymphomas and leukemias. Longer term, Juno aims to develop our cell-based platform to include additional product candidates to address a broad range of cancers and human diseases.
Why is this such a huge discovery? The answer is probably obvious if you or anyone you know has had cancer and gone through surgery, radiation treatment, or chemotherapy. Those "cures" are painful, risky, and don't always work.
To genetically engineer a patient's own T cells to recognize and attack cancer is a revolutionary and most welcome breakthrough in oncology treatment.
While this science is still in its early stages, the clinical results have been inspiring and gaining FDA "fast-track" designation to speed the R&D process. And speaking of inspired, Gilead Sciences (GILD) is so excited about this frontier that they just plunked down $12 billion for a leading player, Kite Pharma (KITE).
I was also inspired this spring to buy more of these companies, besides JUNO, for my new Healthcare Innovators portfolio.
But the next frontier is one I am equally excited about, yet just beginning to explore for its investment potential as the R&D "proof of concept" is still not conclusive for humans.
Gene Editing: Entering the Realm of Fantastic Possibilities
Some people are against genetically-modified food, or experiments that alter animal species. But more of us should take an interest in the possibilities of altering human genetic destiny.
While the war to cure cancer in bold new ways using the body's immune system is welcome by most, a quieter revolution has been applying its scientific secrets in a more controversial way to potentially cure inherited diseases.
The breakthrough is called genome editing. Not only will it pay for you to understand this complex and controversial science, especially as you'll be seeing and hearing more news stories and debate about the latest discoveries and achievements, but it could pay us as investors too.
Because whether everyone agrees or not, this science will move forward and many committed researchers will be hot on the trail of curing or preventing disease at the genetic level.
Billions of dollars have already been invested by large pharmaceutical companies and this trend will only grow because the potential outcomes in terms of cures and healthcare cost savings are very sizable.
Genome editing is already being used to modify human blood cells that are then put back into the body to treat conditions including leukemia and AIDS. It could also potentially be used to treat other infections and simple genetic conditions such as muscular dystrophy and hemophilia.
5 Stocks to Ride the Breakthrough
I've prepared a Zacks Special Report to help you capitalize on this new frontier of medicine.
It's titled Cures and Riches: 5 Stocks for the Life-Saving, Fortune-Building Promise of Gene Editing and you're invited to download it today.
Of course, it's critically important to not simply invest in companies involved with gene editing but to pick the right ones at the right time. For me, 5 companies have the best breakout potential in this fast-emerging space.
One has 2 product candidates that were recently granted FDA Fast Track designation. Another is developing a potential game-changer for cystic fibrosis in addition to its gene editing initiatives. And 3 other stocks offer comparable excitement to early investors.
Please note that the deadline to download this report is midnight Sunday, October 8.
Check out these stocks right now >>
Good Investing,
Kevin Cook
Kevin, Senior Stock Strategist at Zacks, is a leading expert in biotech and medical stocks. He provides commentary and recommendations for Healthcare Innovators and TAZR portfolios, and today is making available his newly released Special Report, Cures and Riches: 5 Stocks for the Life-Saving, Fortune-Building Promise of Gene Editing.