Will Obama Catch a Cold if GM IPO Sneezes?

Retail buyers participating in General Motors’ public offering should be aware that there exists a strong likelihood that their ownership stake could be subject to immediate dilution, depending on how the share price trades in the secondary market: upon the exercise of warrants held by current stakeholders, at strike prices ranging from $30 to $126.92 per share, up to 106 million additional shares could hit the outstanding stock float, according to GM’s preliminary prospectus.

Buried deep in the more than 700 pages of the automaker's ’s prospectus was a warning, too:

the bankruptcy court could issue more than $37 billion in third-party claims pending – probably in the form of stock and warrants (for additional stock payable in the future at a pre-set price). In other words, buyers of the common stock in the initial offering would face even more dilution.

Are officials in the Obama administration pushing to unload some of its 60.8% share in the "new GM" to show taxpayers before the November mid-term elections that the $50 billion of their monies invested in the venerable automaker (to stave of liquidation) was a wise decision from the “anointed” one? Read More ….

Editor David J Phillips does not hold a financial interest in any stocks mentioned in this article. The 10Q Detective has a Full Disclosure Policy.

BP Looks To Sink Transocean in Fed Hearings

Transocean (RIG-$51.62), the world’s largest offshore drilling contractor, warned in its earnings filing that British Petroleum (BP-$36.34) had reservations and would likely seek to avoid its contractual responsibilities, including protection from financial penalties and liabilities resulting from the Macondo well disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP’s conviction that it doesn’t have to honor terms of the Deepwater Horizon drilling contract is motivated by the least noble of all great actions — greed:

Prior to the capping of the well on July 15, a federal task force estimated up to 173 million gallons escaped from the damaged well into Gulf waters, less captured or contained crude. Under the Clean Water Act, BP could be fined $4.5 billion, or as much as $17.6 billion (if found guilty of committing gross negligence).

Continue Reading ….

Editor David J Phillips does not hold a financial interest in any stocks mentioned in this article. The 10Q Detective has a Full Disclosure Policy.

Byetta Safety Data To Benefit Challengers Januvia and Victoza

Looking to rebuild physician confidence in Byetta injection, Amylin (AMLN-$19.69) and Lilly (LLY-$35.70) directed much of their lecture and lobbying time at the 2010 ADA conference addressing safety and tolerability issues that have dogged their type-2 diabetes treatment since soon after its June 2005 launch.

Presentations at the Orlando meeting showed Byetta-treated patients were at no higher risk for renal or pancreatic problems than existing treatments — including, Merck’s oral Januvia and Novo Nordisk’s in-kind Victoza injection therapy. Ergo, with no new sense of urgency for Byetta use – all Amylin and Lilly accomplished was to provide additional motivation for physicians to prescribe challengers Januvia and Victoza….

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Editor David J Phillips does not hold a financial interest in any stocks mentioned in this article. The 10Q Detective has a Full Disclosure Policy.

Byetta Losing Out To Novo's Victoza

Clinical data supporting the ability of type-2 diabetes drug Byetta to address the unmet need of glucose control with potential weight loss quickly became a winning narrative for Amylin Pharmaceutical (AMLN-$$20.08) and its marketing partner Eli Lilly (LLY-$37.77). The GLP-1 agonist became the fourth most-prescribed branded product for type 2-diabetes — after Actos, Avandia and Lantus — within 18 months of its June 2005 launch.

Prescription momentum swung away from the injection med after reports began to surface of a link between Byetta use and altered kidney function. Throw in concerns of pancreatic inflammation - U.S. sales for the GLP-1 agonist peaked in 2008 at $678.5 million.

The number of patients treated worldwide with Byetta dropped from 470,000 in 2007 to 440,000 in 2009, according to data obtained by Wolters Kluwer.

Launched in early 2010, Novo Nordisk’s (NVO-$90.37) GLP-1 agonist Victoza, has already passed Byetta in new patient starts …. Why? Continue Reading ….

Editor David J Phillips does not hold a financial interest in any stocks mentioned in this article. The 10Q Detective has a Full Disclosure Policy.

Food and Water Watch Looking to Shutter BP's Atlantis Field in Gulf

Food & Water Watch has accused BP (BP-$40.00) and its minority partner, Melbourne-based BHP Billiton (44% working interest), of operating the Atlantis platform in the Gulf of Mexico without proper documentation required by law – and necessary for safe operation (including maintenance).

In addition, the group claims that the Interior Department and Secretary Ken Salazar have done almost nothing to “protect the Gulf from another potential calamity,” and it’s urged members of Congress to either legislate — or formally request President Obama to issue an executive order — shuttering BP Atlantis until legally required safety documentation is presented for public review.

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Editor David J Phillips does not hold a financial interest in any stocks mentioned in this article. The 10Q Detective has a Full Disclosure Policy.