In 2006, scientists fervently worked on a treatment for H5N1, or bird flu, fearful that infected humans in China might be the start of a possible pandemic.
This interest in experimental drugs and vaccines drew investors to any biotech stock that was remotely doing anything avian-related in nature. Sadly, like Tulipomania, dot-coms, and nanotechnology stocks, investors who rolled the dice on bird flu stocks—for the most part—have lost, ending up with a come-out roll of 2, 3 or 12 on their pass-line bet.
This interest in experimental drugs and vaccines drew investors to any biotech stock that was remotely doing anything avian-related in nature. Sadly, like Tulipomania, dot-coms, and nanotechnology stocks, investors who rolled the dice on bird flu stocks—for the most part—have lost, ending up with a come-out roll of 2, 3 or 12 on their pass-line bet.
15 plays on bird flu | ||||
Company | 2/19/06 Price | 5/01/06 Price | % Chng. | Key product |
$29.80 | $31.10 | 4.36% | Symmetrel, FDA-approved to treat influenza A * | |
$4.96 | $1.87 | (62.29)% | Rec'd $6M grant from U.S. to develop H5N1 vaccine | |
$6.10 | $5.04 | (17.38)% | Imunostimulatory sequence technology to target virus | |
$4.20 | $4.87 | 15.95% | Developing DNA-based vaccine vs. H5N1 | |
$1.84 | $1.18 | (35.87)% | Announced plans to research H5N1 vaccine | |
$7.55 | $2.64 | (65.03)% | Antisense-based therapeutic | |
$24.96 | $25.30 | 1.36% | PER.C6 tech used by Sanofi in H5N1 vaccine development | |
$3.14 | $1.62 | (48.41)% | Alferon, stimulates Interferon to defend vs. H5N1 | |
$4.60 | $2.86 | (37.83)% | Technology may help speed H5N1 vaccine development | |
$19.07 | $8.50 | (55.43)% | Peramivir, which may inhibit H5N1 virus | |
$14.04 | $18.77 | 33.69% | Announced plan to develop RNAi therapeutic for H5N1 | |
$1.62 | $1.60 | (1.23)% | Developoing anti-H5N1 vaccine w/ Antigen Express tech | |
$1.61 | $0.52 | (67.70)% | Microarray for typing flu viruses | |
$13.51 | $17.68 | 30.87% | DNA test for flu viruses | |
$4.15 | $3.12 | (24.82)% | Anflu, licensed in China as antiflu vaccine | |
Source: PharmaWeek; MSN Money; company reports;
Prudent investors would have been wise to heed an NASD alert issued back in December 2005, Bird Flu Stock Scam Could Be Hazardous To Your Financial Health, that warned of companies claiming to be poised to capitalize on helping the world avoid a global pandemic with allegedly proprietary breakthrough treatments.
Editor David J Phillips holds no financial interest in any of the stocks mentioned in this article. The 10Q Detective has a FULL DISCLOSURE policy.
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