Nine Stem Cell Stocks to Add to Your Portfolio

Scientists in England are now testing a new treatment for multiple sclerosis using the patients own stem cells, at Frenchay Hospital near Bristol. Research is continuing to determine if it can be used for treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and heart disease. Earlier this year, California gave out $45 million in research grants to various state universities, and non-profit laboratories for stem cell research. Several other states, including Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey, are also funding stem cell research.

According to the StemCellsStocks.com website, stem cell research involves finding out how organism develops from a single cell, and how healthy cells replace damaged cells. This could lead to cell-based therapies to treat various diseases. The advantage that stem cells have over other cells are that they renew themselves for long periods of time from cell division, and they can be made to become cells with special functions. Some stem cells can be collected from cord blood.

There are only a limited number of stocks which are pure or semi-pure plays, in the stem cell industry.

Here is a list of the ones with market caps over $300 million:

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN): This $2.4 billion market cap Connecticut-based company is involved in the development of biologic therapeutic products for the treatment of hematologic and cardiovascular disorders, auto-immune diseases, and cancer. The stock has had negative earnings, and the P/S is 147.

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals (ARIA): This Massachusetts-based $320 million market cap company is involved in the development of treatments for cancer by regulating cell signaling with small molecules. Its cancer products are used to treat sarcomas, hormone refractory prostate cancer, and endometrial cancer. It has negative earnings, and a P/S of 414.

Celera Group (CRA): This NYSE company, founded in 1937, is involved in the discovery and validation of new diagnostic markers, using proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery platforms and diagnostic products. It is in collaboration with Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Genentech (DNA), General Electric (GE) and Merck (MRK). The stock has a forward P/E of 156.22, and a P/S of 24.

Cellgene (CELG): This New Jersey company is involved in the discovery, production, and marketing of therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory-related diseases. One of its main products is Thalomid, which is used for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum. Last year, the company received a patent on placental stem cell recovery. It has a P/E of 190, a P/S of 23.5, and a PEG of 1.48.

Dendreon Corporation (DNDN): This $650 million market cap company is involved in the discovery, development, and sales of active immunotherapies, monoclonal antibodies, and small molecule product candidates to treat cancer. It also manufactures the DACSÒSC stem cell enrichment device. The stock has had negative earnings, and has a P/S of 847.6.

Geron (GERN): This is a Menlo Park, California-based $551 million market cap company which develops cell-based therapies derived from human embryonic stem cells that are used for the treatment of various diseases. The stock has had negative earnings, and has a P/S of 152.

Integra Lifesciences Holdings (IART): This New Jersey-based $1.28 billion market cap company develops, manufactures, and sells medical devices, implants, biomaterials, and instruments to the neurosurgery, surgery, and soft tissue repair markets. It has a P/E of 47.12, a P/S of 2.57, and a PEG of 1.23.

Invitrogen Corporation (IVGN): This California-based $3.78 billion market cap company sells products and services to research institutions, pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies, including tools for gene acquisition, gene cloning, gene expression, and gene analysis techniques. The stock has a forward P/E of 19.65, a P/S of 2.88, and a PEG of 1.51.

LifeCell Corporation (LIFC): This $1.28 billion market cap New Jersey-based company develops, and sells human-derived tissue-based products for use in reconstructive, orthopedic, and urogynecologic surgery. It also produces a three-dimensional structured regenerative human tissue matrix. The stock has a P/E of 50.7, a P/S of 7.78, and a PEG of 5.57.

Disclosure: The author does not own any of the above.

Comments

[razormd]

You might also want to look at a small company with the symbol OPXA...they have some interesting stem cell work and their lead product -- not stem cell related -- is in phase IIb...see:

www.opexatherapeutics....

[meijinmike]

Why is Lifecell included ? There is no stem cell research there that I'm aware of.