Nasdaq-listed Biostage exploded 25.24% Wednesday on big volume of 4.8 million shares traded. The move was enough to capture the Daily Stock Challenge Breakout award in August. Certainly, the monthly Stock Challenge has tightened in recent sessions, with long-time leader ‘micronta‘ set to falter. Now, let’s get back to Biostage.
The company is the latest micro-cap working to develop a way to treat life-threatening conditions of the esophagus, bronchus, and trachea. Due to the steady increase of these types of cancers, numerous biotech firms are working for a cure.
More specifically, Biostage is developing bio engineered organ implants to treat cancer and congenital abnormalities.
Fact: “Esophageal cancer is one of the fastest-growing and deadliest cancers in the U.S.”
Furthermore,
“According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 17,000 new cases of esophageal cancer will be diagnosed in 2015. Incidence of adenocarcinoma, a type of esophageal cancer linked to GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) has risen six-fold in recent decades.”
Click here to read the entire press release.
Investment Interest in Esophageal Cancer Rises
The rise in esophageal cancer has hastened interest in companies such as Biostage in recent years. On August 7th Biostage announced the use of its Esophageal Implant Product Candidate in a patient. The news sent Biostage’s stock 30.44% higher on 7.77 million shares traded.
The use of Biostage’s Cellspan Esophageal Implant product candidate in a patient is indeed historic. Implanted at a major U.S. hospital via a FDA-approved single-use expanded access application.
The company reported,
“On May 4, 2017, the Cellspan Esophageal Implant was surgically implanted into a 75-year old male with a life-threatening cancerous mass in his chest. The surgery was required to address the tumor’s encroachment on the patient’s lung, heart, and esophagus. The portion of the esophagus affected by the cancer was removed and the Cellspan Esophageal Implant was utilized to reconstruct the esophagus. The patient is now alive three months after surgery. Biostage believes that the Cellspan Esophageal Implant has performed as designed.”
How did they achieve such a feat?
“Within a collaborative agreement between Biostage and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), the patient’s own stem cells were processed, seeded and grown onto the scaffold at the Cellular Therapy Core of the Program in Children’s Regenerative Medicine at UTHealth, prior to release for transport to the institution carrying out the surgery.”
While Biostage hit a high of $0.65 per share on August 7th, its shares have languished. In fact, the company’s stock hit a low of $0.25 per share on August 22nd. Its shares rebounded to $0.35 but closed at $0.33 per share. The market has remained liquid for Biostage, but its valuation at $12.9 million is a far cry from when its shares traded for more than $10.
Biostage Stock – 5 Year Chart
A long-time member of nearly seven years, ‘rvince‘ is betting this dynamic micro-biotech stock can turn it around. The member’s return improved 11.26% on the day.
Unfortunately, Biostage will need a few more big days to get back to even this month.
August Stock Challenge Tightens
micronta has been leading since Day 1 of August’s Stock Challenge; however, some have detested his timely selection. For that reason, we are awarded silver bullion to the first and second place finishers in August.
heyjude’s return improved to 74.03%, behind micronta’s 75.25% return.
Sage investor ‘Rainendown’ who is a past Stock Challenge Champ had a prediction of his own on August 14th:
“Whomever has GTT or LXG is gonna win this… the original M guy is now a mute point.”
With just a handful of days left, his prediction may be set to come true. heyjude’s selection of GTT.V has him knocking on the door of glory. Finally, with just five days remaining in August, the Stock Challenge is up for grabs.
