Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

SPL - Starpharma Holdings

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Hi @Knobby22 and @jbocker
I sold my tiny holding of just 3,324 shares. Sold it at $1.29. My average purchase price was $0.6406. I desperately need money. Last week I set my sale price at $1.40 but I kept lowering my order to $1.29 on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, SPL announced Phrase 1/2 Trials for DEP Irinotecan. It was upshot I needed to sell SPL.

Initially I purchase SPL nearly 5 years ago for its potential. After much thought, I decided that SPL had to leave my portfolio. Did I make the right decision???????

I accept that biotechs are slow in their progress but SPL's progress is even slower. There is very little news about last year's Dec FDA announcement or should I say knock back of approving VivaGel. The real news of DEP Irinotecan - when will that translate into revenue?? I wanted to believe that pancreatic and colon cancer sufferers had hope in this product. (My dad died of pancreatic cancer.) This is why I had a soft spot for SPL.

Yes, I am still (well sort of) a believer in SPL but I would keep a speccy amount of money in SPL. Unfortunately for me, I need my funds, so SPL had to go. I know there will be a pullback, will enter SPL again?? It depends upon what I have available, SPL's progress and their announcements.
 
Gday Faramir. Sorry to read your needs for funds. But sometimes the decision to sell needs to be done for a different and more important purpose outside of investing.
I cannot tell you anymore than a gut feel I have for this stock, so it is not advice. My gut feel, I would think a kick in SP if and when the US FDA accepts Vivagel. It will be good to see some dollars being made, and I think it is WAY too early for any realistic numbers for a while yet, albeit SPL would want to release anything positive in that regard ASAP.
Phase1/2, I don't know how long this period will cover, and it is a worry point for me, as it could be a few years yet, (and I am not getting any younger).
I did, a few years ago, visit a large research lab for cancer treatment and the head of the institute told us early on, the cycle can typically take around 10 years to get a product launched. If you think of the dendrimer that has probably been in research for some time (I don't know exactly). My understanding is the dendrimer is a delivery mechanism for known successful treatment drugs. The benefits being a system that delivers the drug more explicitly to the problem (in this case cancer) and avoids a lot of existing nasty side affects. Ultimately increases the rate of cure and reduces the sickness (of side affects).
Please understand that I am talking from my gut knowledge but I read something that will potentially deliver a great chance of improving the cure for cancer. Worth reading up on.
I have a few shares tucked away. It is a speccy.
Keep well.
 
SPL has to get cash flow positive to be strong and it all depends on how popular Vivagel is.
It is therefore a speccy. I agree with JBocker's comments above.
With negative cashflow it falls under the power of Big Pharma and dilution.

On the good side if Vivagel provides adequate income then DEP Irinotecan provides a lot of blue sky.
Just keep an eye on it Farimer as you now have an understanding of the company and so will more easily take advantage, in the mean time you may be able to use the money better.
 
Picked this for my Sept 2019 Tipping Comp.
Purely a punt that price will recover from the SP slip that occurred during August to $1.10.
 
Really dropping back, might get to $1.
I think there just aren't any big announcements expected. Getting into bargain territory.
 
Hi @jbocker and @Knobby22
SPL has dropped back a bit but not enough to think about it. CEO has a habit of over promising and using the words “imminent” “soon” and other similar carrot words. The science behind SPL is fantastic. The qualifications behind their staff, I would say the same.

US FDA Approval - maybe they should have bit the bullet last December and “re-do” their trials. Just because the rest of the world loves and approves of Vivagel, FDA have their own mind and requires their own unique way of getting approval.

Most of their other tests are still based at mice level. They need recruit willing patients. Each positive announcement is overblown.

I thought the Mundipharma deal would given SPL lots of positives last Annual Report but I guess I need to wait until next year.

I paid off some bills. Do I use SPL profits to get back into SPL??? I am actually looking for another company. I am completely lost - especially with biotechs.

Strangely I still feel I own SPL and my emotional attachment is still there. My eyes seem to scan for SPL when I look at my portfolio before I tell myself that I sold it. When its share price dropped in the past couple of weeks, again I need to pinch myself - I don’t own, no need to feel anything.

I guess vaguely hope there’s a cure for pancreatic cancer. If only I was younger, then I would definitely leave a tiny bit in SPL, even if it’s under $1,000. I think it’s more fruitful than a donation to a charity - although donating to cancer research charities is also very valuable.
 
@Faramir
Don't get emotionally attached.
Don't get emotionally attached.
Now continue to write that out 100 times.
… mind you...I have filled up 4 exercise books with this statement and I still get emotionally attached!!!!
I agree with @Knobby22 it is starting to look like bargain territory BUT I know why it is looking to go cheap...
.. I freaking picked it in this months tipping competition.
 
I will try to arrange to leave work early and catch a tram to the AGM on the 21st November 4:00pm.
I will let you know if I found out anything interesting.
 
This company has become my worst performer for the last 6 months.
Now I see why, two large institutional investors have been selling.
 
Receipts from customers almost double last quarter in quarterly cashflow report.
Good start.
 
Stapharma is my monthly pick.
There is always a lull as the company goes seriously into manufacture.
As the early biotech investors focused on dreams sell out and the new more conservative investors focusing on cashflow takeover. I think this company has been forgotten as it lacks the excitement of MVP and MSB and is further back in the commercialisation route compared to PNV. Also not as good as PNV, better to sell a product than a drug.

The reason I am picking it is:
I am hoping the sellers have finished.
The general meeting is later this month, (perfect timing for the comp) which I am going to and will hopefully be a big comfort and cause buying. A comment like Vivagel sales are going better than expected could do it.
Also hoping for more announcements in the pancreatic cancer field (I note another one today).
 
I think that makes 4 in the DEP program with one going to patient test phase, makes it 'exciting', I should say more hopeful as a cancer beating treatment.
 
Knobby22 said:
Going into meeting now.
Click to expand...
Hope you got out OK Knobby.
What did you think of the crew? Did they seem they are well down the track of the FDA approval for Vivagel? I read through the presentation nothing new but I wondered what the level of excitement might have been.
The price today was down several cents but did creep back up to finish 1c down. I thought the price might have done a bit better than that.
 
I've got a lot to say, all pretty good and I am increasingly confident but have been too busy
Just left a lighting awards ceremony.
Will post this weekend.
 
The meeting was attended by local and interstate guests but from what I heard not as well attended as last year. My opinion is that the excitement is not there at present which was there last year as the Vivagel product was being approved. This is reflected in the price which to my mind is a bargain.

These are the points I noted:

Strong and clear balance sheet, plenty of cash, I spoke to the Chairman after the meeting and he said an American Investor firm had approached them to offer money as a raising but they are not interested. They just don't need any more cash. (If the Chairman reads this, I was the guy around 50 with the suit, glasses and shaven beard that didn't shake your hands with the two guys wearing Tshirts, I didn't shake your hand because I had a bit of a cold).

The stuff works, and works much better than any alternatives.

I tried to ask about cashflow but they are not prepared to estimate at this stage which is fair. They are only starting to roll out Vivagel in many markets. Australia April (doing well), Europe (September), England (just starting), New Zealand (next January), Asia, soon. They expect the growth tin sales to ramp up slowly as education and advertising works however one bit of advertising in Women's public toilets has been very successful where women take a photo of the add on their phone and turn up at the chemist to buy. The adds also mention removal of the smell of v Also the website of the Australian supplier Aspen as been extremely popular and they have advised that this is the most positively accepted product they have released...ever.

In my view, the power of social media means that this product will take off faster than they think. They were very happy to sell 100,000 doses in September.

The USA is an issue and they are trying a two pronged route. It appears (to me) that the system is rigged so you have to hire USA lawyers. (MVP have the same problem).

I was quite impressed with the CEO. She is quite hard working, dynamic and appears able to think out of the square at least at first impression. The two pronged USA attack is smart. I noticed she also owns a large chunk of the company. The main options vest in three years, by then I expect she and the board expect this company to be really big. I think the USA government will have trouble holding this back as it is approved elsewhere around the world. Just imagine if it came up on Oprah, the sales will be huge.

One other point I didn't really realise. Starpharma do not manufacture the product. They manufacture a component but everything else is done by a third party (at least 2 if not more one is Asia, the other in Europe. As the CEO is not worried about running an manufacturing plant that frees her and the company up to concentrate on the other growth paths.

Which brings me to the dendrimer technology, there is no competitor in the short term. The dendrimer technology allows non soluble compounds to be spread around the body as nanoparticles allowing the medicine to work more efficiently at the source whether it be cancer or some other treatment.
This is huge. This means the company has a masive array of future products to be released, developed internally and externally with major industry biotech partners.

I predict in 5 years they will be involved with another 10 drugs minimum, with another 15 on the wings for the following two years. This is going to be very exciting.

Let's look at their early testing which is now in phase two trials. they gave it to a guy who had had 30 treatments of chemo and was somehow still alive and very resitant to treatment. It worked.
They have found also that the dose is low, below predicted before the drug worked. This is a big deal.
Trials are taking place in the UK. I sense is a real buzz with some of the big pharmas.

So why has the price only been slowly rising, the future is bright, the team is very experienced.:-
1. The company doesn't need any further money, so have no reason to try to pump up the price in the short term.
2. The company is not cashflow positive. Vivagel will make them so but it takes time to build up sales. I am hoping they will be in 3 years. though this may be helped by one off payments.
3. I think investors are thinking they have plenty of time to get on board. My experience is that this can be true but things can change quickly. One good announcement and suddenly the price has doubled.

I am relaxed about this investment, just like I was with Polynovo. I think that states where I think this is going. I am just a small investor, with a small holding that I have borrowed against. I may have facts wrong- do your own research, but if you find different do the right thing and let me know.
 
Knobby22 said:
The meeting was attended by local and interstate guests but from what I heard not as well attended as last year. My opinion is that the excitement is not there at present which was there last year as the Vivagel product was being approved. This is reflected in the price which to my mind is a bargain.

These are the points I noted:

Strong and clear balance sheet, plenty of cash, I spoke to the Chairman after the meeting and he said an American Investor firm had approached them to offer money as a raising but they are not interested. They just don't need any more cash. (If the Chairman reads this, I was the guy around 50 with the suit, glasses and shaven beard that didn't shake your hands with the two guys wearing Tshirts, I didn't shake your hand because I had a bit of a cold).

The stuff works, and works much better than any alternatives.

I tried to ask about cashflow but they are not prepared to estimate at this stage which is fair. They are only starting to roll out Vivagel in many markets. Australia April (doing well), Europe (September), England (just starting), New Zealand (next January), Asia, soon. They expect the growth tin sales to ramp up slowly as education and advertising works however one bit of advertising in Women's public toilets has been very successful where women take a photo of the add on their phone and turn up at the chemist to buy. The adds also mention removal of the smell of v Also the website of the Australian supplier Aspen as been extremely popular and they have advised that this is the most positively accepted product they have released...ever.

In my view, the power of social media means that this product will take off faster than they think. They were very happy to sell 100,000 doses in September.

The USA is an issue and they are trying a two pronged route. It appears (to me) that the system is rigged so you have to hire USA lawyers. (MVP have the same problem).

I was quite impressed with the CEO. She is quite hard working, dynamic and appears able to think out of the square at least at first impression. The two pronged USA attack is smart. I noticed she also owns a large chunk of the company. The main options vest in three years, by then I expect she and the board expect this company to be really big. I think the USA government will have trouble holding this back as it is approved elsewhere around the world. Just imagine if it came up on Oprah, the sales will be huge.

One other point I didn't really realise. Starpharma do not manufacture the product. They manufacture a component but everything else is done by a third party (at least 2 if not more one is Asia, the other in Europe. As the CEO is not worried about running an manufacturing plant that frees her and the company up to concentrate on the other growth paths.

Which brings me to the dendrimer technology, there is no competitor in the short term. The dendrimer technology allows non soluble compounds to be spread around the body as nanoparticles allowing the medicine to work more efficiently at the source whether it be cancer or some other treatment.
This is huge. This means the company has a masive array of future products to be released, developed internally and externally with major industry biotech partners.

I predict in 5 years they will be involved with another 10 drugs minimum, with another 15 on the wings for the following two years. This is going to be very exciting.

Let's look at their early testing which is now in phase two trials. they gave it to a guy who had had 30 treatments of chemo and was somehow still alive and very resitant to treatment. It worked.
They have found also that the dose is low, below predicted before the drug worked. This is a big deal.
Trials are taking place in the UK. I sense is a real buzz with some of the big pharmas.

So why has the price only been slowly rising, the future is bright, the team is very experienced.:-
1. The company doesn't need any further money, so have no reason to try to pump up the price in the short term.
2. The company is not cashflow positive. Vivagel will make them so but it takes time to build up sales. I am hoping they will be in 3 years. though this may be helped by one off payments.
3. I think investors are thinking they have plenty of time to get on board. My experience is that this can be true but things can change quickly. One good announcement and suddenly the price has doubled.

I am relaxed about this investment, just like I was with Polynovo. I think that states where I think this is going. I am just a small investor, with a small holding that I have borrowed against. I may have facts wrong- do your own research, but if you find different do the right thing and let me know.
Click to expand...

Good work Knobby. Thanks for the feedback!!! I am very happy it was encouraging. I like the fact we may take some time to increase holding, but I am in enough for now. I like their journey and the possibilities for the future.
 

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