It’s been fun using JinandJuice Investment to post our recommendations and all but the platform is too difficult to use.  We are starting another blog with the same team but a new platform with google.

Please visit our new blog at:

http://mymarketspy.blogspot.com/

Here’s food for thought, you do the dishes…

Now if you have been following XOMA as long as I have and have been reading the articles released lately, in my own opinion I think XOMA will Skyrocket Monday June 8, 2009 due to the news that will be released from the presentations related to its XOMA 052 anti-interleukin-1 (IL-1) beta antibody at the American Diabetes Association 69th Scientific Sessions from June 5th to June 9th, 2009.  The news that will be released will have a positive effect on the psychology of the investors and will help drive up the price.  We’ll even see it rocket afterhours and  everyone will be very excited and happy including myself.  Then the articles will start surfacing again mid week regarding the presentations Mr. Engle (CEO of XOMA) will give at the 8th Annual Needham Life Sciences Conference scheduled to take place in New York City on Wednesday, June 10, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Once again the price of XOMA will increase.  You might be think, “so far so good…”

Then the inevitable will rear its ugly face in the picture once again.  Mr. Dilution will enter the picture and we’ll start seeing the price slowly drop and start to go down as orders for 100 shares will drive down the price slowly.  It will then crash all the way back down to $1.15.  At this point the mentality of the new investor will be beat and then the paid bashers will go to work and start breaking down the new investors more.  This will cause the price to drop below $1.15 and then you, the person reading this right now that is invested in XOMA too, will find yourself thinking, “man, I should have sold high and re-bought in low … I totally would have increased my shares…damn!”  I know that’s what I’ll be thinking … ahaha!

Now why would the price drop all of a sudden?

It is because the XOMA is is offering 10.4 million units common shares and a warrant to buy half of a common share to an institutional investor who has agreed to the price of $1.15 per unit.  When is this deal is expected to close? Yup! You’ve guessed it!  It’s expected to close on or about Wednesday June 10, 2009, the same day as the Annual Needham Life Sciences Conference.

So, to all the investors good luck.

I think XOMA is a buy but not at the current price.  Don’t let the huge investor make you a bag holder.  Wait for the price to drop and average down.  Do not, I repeat, do not buy XOMA above $1.15 before June 10, 2009.  You might find yourself regreting.  However, after June 10, 2009, it will be interesting how fast XOMA jumps past $2.50.

-007

Disclosure: Postion Held

“According to a newly published report from Reuters, Japan plans to produce enough H1N1 flu vaccine to treat 20 million people by the end of year, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Friday. Japan has 410 confirmed cases of the new form of flu, although most have recovered and no patients showed serious symptoms, the health ministry said.

While most H1N1 flu cases around the world have been mild, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned countries to get ready for more serious infections if the virus mutates.

So far, there have been more than 20,000 cases of the new flu around the world and 126 deaths.

Japanese makers will start producing the vaccine for the new flu strain as early as in early July, with vaccinations available from around November, the newspaper said.

Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said it would take more time for Japan to decide production details for the vaccine doses.

“The National Institute of Infectious Diseases will probably be able to give makers the seed of a vaccine around June 10,” Masuzoe told reporters when asked about the newspaper report.

A press release from Hemispherx states that the Japanese National Institute of Infectious Diseases Scientists Identified Hemispherx Biopharma’s Drug Technology as the “Most Promising Mucosal Adjuvant for Influenza

Interestingly, in his report last Friday, BioMedReport’s M.E. Garza had reported that Hemispherx Biopharma was in deep discussions with the Japanese about selling them Ampligen as an adjuvant (booster) for any vaccine produced for the H1N1 flu.

Below is an excerpt from that story:

The same drug used for CFS has now taken center stage in the fight against so called swine flu (H1N1). The company has made headlines in recent days as it has moved full force into collaboration with health ministries and scientists in Japan. In fact, BiomedReports has learned that the company is officially on the fast track to making some substantial sales of its products to Japan. Purchases that will initially treat as many as 30 million Japanese military a

nd paramedic personnel may be announced soon. When the orders come, research indicates that first year sales figures for Ampligen as a vaccine booster may actually dwarf sales for Ampligen as a treatment for CFS. That trend, as currently projected, will continue for at least the first two years.

“The highest level of the Japanese government and public medical community is now focused exclusively on our product,” says Carter. “They stopped working on all other adjuvants (boosters) and are only working with this one because they’ve found that it enhances the vaccines by 100 fold.”

In so called animal (monkey) models, all of the sickest animals’ lives have been saved after researchers added a little Ampligen to the administered novel influenza vaccines. This has all been reviewed by the Japanese National Institutes of Health with great attention since the H1N1 virus has been spreading in that part of the world swiftly and threatens to breakout even further into Asia.

“Drug safety is the number one priority in Japan,” explains Dr. Carter. “Research there is excellent and their scientists have an outstanding historical safety record.Our research and results are independently verifiable, and internationally recognized.”

Another tremendous platform in the influenza space is Hemispherx’s flagship product, Alferon which is already approved by the FDA.

“That’s already passed FDA muster,” says Dr. Carter. “Furthermore, It’s a fully natural interferon- all others are manipulated. That makes it the most effective interferon available. It can stop the SARS coronavirus, Avian Influenza (H5N1) and we have a treatment program with plenty of this drug already stockpiled.”

In this country, researchers are also looking for ways to deliver a one-two punch to flu viruses, since most antiviral drugs target only half of the cell-infection cycle of viruses such as H1N1. A team of researchers is looking to shut down the whole process according to a report in this week’s Scientific American.

Flu experts on Friday told the World Health Organization it should provide information on the danger posed by swine flu when it next changes its pandemic alert level.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan held an hour-long telephone conference with top scientists from around the world to discuss the latest developments in the outbreak that has infected almost 22,000 people.

The experts appeared to back a proposal by some of the WHO’s 193 member countries last month to include severity in future assessments. Governments fear that declaring a global pandemic before the full danger of the disease is known could spark panic and confusion, leading to costly and unnecessary actions such as border closures and trade restrictions.

So far the Geneva-based agency has made the geographic spread of the virus its sole indicator for deciding when to increase the pandemic alert.

Chan previously consulted the same group before twice raising the alert level last month.

The disease has meanwhile spread to 69 countries, with the WHO saying that Britain, Spain, Japan, Chile and Australia are moving toward the stage where the flu is passing rapidly from person to person, rather than being brought in by travelers.

“The committee gave further advice regarding a number of parameters, the monitoring of which will provide information for the assessment of the severity of the epidemic,” WHO said in a statement after the meeting. It did not specify what these parameters would be and WHO officials could not be reached late Friday.

Hemispherx Biopharma received an invitation, funded entirely by the government of Italy, to present its technology platform for influenza control, yesterday and today at the “International Conference on Biotechnologies and Finance” in Rome’s Sheraton Parco de Medici.”

-BioMed Reports

XOMA

Recently, the Wall Street Transript released their Biotechnology report which provides a unique and informative insight into the future of a select few public companies.  Below is a brief interview with the CEO of XOMA, Mr. Steve Engle on the current events taking place at XOMA and his strategic agenda for the next few years.

“TWST Question: Please begin with a brief historical sketch of the company and a picture of the things you are doing at the present time.

Mr. Engle CEO of XOMA Response: We are a recognized leader in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies. Our lead product, XOMA 052, is a potentially revolutionary treatment for the inflammatory cause of many major diseases including Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune diseases. In addition, XOMA receives revenues from: the licensing of its antibody technologies to over 50 companies; product royalties (LUCENTIS and CIMZIA); development collaborations with Takeda, Novartis and Schering-Plough; and biodefense contracts. Based in Berkeley, California, XOMA has 200 employees.Our lead product candidate, XOMA 052, is a proprietary antibody that regulates production of the cytokine called interleukin-1 or IL-1, which is the master cytokine in activating the inflammatory cascade. We recently received a US patent for XOMA 052, providing an important acknowledgement that it has properties that differentiate it from other agents that target IL-1. We recently completed enrollment in Phase I studies of XOMA 052 in Type II diabetes and plan to announce top-line results from the US trial in July. The trials evaluated a wide range of XOMA 052 doses, single and multiple dose regimens, and intravenous and subcutaneous routes of administration. Interim results presented last fall from the single dose IV trials demonstrated that XOMA 052 is well tolerated across all doses. Further, XOMA 052 showed evidence of biological activity, including reduced levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, increased insulin production and reduced levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP, compared to placebo. CRP is a well-established marker for the systemic inflammation associated with cardiovascular disease, one of the largest pharmaceutical markets. For this reason, we have begun to evaluate XOMA 052 for its potential cardiovascular benefits in addition to considering it for development in diabetes and autoimmune diseases. In addition to XOMA 052 and the other products in our proprietary pipeline, we have a business focused on collaborations with other companies using our broad antibody technologies, a business focused on biodefense funded by the US government, and a royalty-based business based on our pioneering position in developing antibodies for therapeutic uses. We currently receive royalties on sales of LUCENTIS from Genentech and CIMZIA from UCB.

TWST Question: Would you sketch out your strategic agenda for the next two to three years?

Mr. Engle CEO of XOMA Response: We are very focused on advancing the development of XOMA 052 for diabetes and cardiovascular disease because it is a revolutionary approach and has the greatest single potential for maximizing the return to shareholders. Discussions toward a corporate partnership for XOMA 052 are underway and we plan to finalize this partnership by year-end. We plan to advance XOMA 052 for other indications and continue bringing forward the other proprietary compounds we have in pre-clinical development. With the advancement of XOMA 052, establishment of a corporate partnership, advancement of our pre-clinical pipeline and our other businesses, we believe we have multiple opportunities to significantly grow shareholder value.”

-www.twst.com

Therapeutic Antibodies Potential to Revolutionalize Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases

General Motors seen filing for bankruptcy Monday.

Depending on the type of investor you are, this could mean sell, sell, sell, then head for the hills, or it could mean big opportunity. No doubt that GM is one of the largest companies in the world, and to see it crash means there will be a major impact on the stock market. Most likely, it seems like the stock market could take a huge dip. If you have noticed over the past several years, whenever a new report comes out to tell us how many billions of (taxpayer) dollars GM has bumbled away this time, the stock market always seems to take a plunge. This time, I’ve decided to be ready for it, and this is how I plan to do it:

Firstly, I think it would be a good idea to have some money freed up so I can grab those stocks that are dragged down with the plunge. Stocks that are still strong with companies that will probably be around for a long time, but are suffering along with the rest of the economy for the time being. One example I found recently was Office Max (OMX). Although Office Max is facing some strong competition, especially from Staples (SPLS), Office Max seems to be making the right decisions to cut costs and stay in the market: 

 Staples quarterly profit beats Street by penny

From my research, the management at Office Max seems to know what they’re doing, and they’re taking aggressive measures to make sure they can keep up with Staples. It is a little bit of a gamble, but knowing that the economy is most likely going to rebound within the next year, there is going to be a lot more hiring by companies, which means a boost in demand for office supplies.

Although OMX is selling right now at $8, I’m expecting it to take a dive on Monday, and the price can be even more enticing. This is a a type of company that has a strong potential to turn itself around and that can be bought right now at a pretty good bargain. Keep your eyes and ears open! I think we’ll have some deals to look out for!

- The Sluggy One

All of us would like to reduce the risk in our investments. If there was a crash-proof method that ensured that our portfolio would balloon, there would be no questions. Unfortunately, such a method simply does not exist. All we can do, however, is take some educated decisions on how to best reduce the chances of waking up one morning to notice our investment reduced to pennies.

When I first started investing, I always thought in absolute terms. If I bought shares, I bought thousands of the them. If I sold, I sold off everything. But does it have to be this way? Why? When I first invested in Wells Fargo, I but a good chunk of my money in it. When I decided to sell some shares recently after my investment increased by 150%, a nagging thought kept telling me, “It can still go up some more! It can still jump!”

This hesitation is what has cost countless investors millions of dollars over the years. Remember, you’re dealing with the stock market, and the market won’t wait for you to make a decision. I decided to sell off most of my shares in Wells Fargo, but still kept some money in it so that if it does take another leap, then I can still make a decent amount of profit. But if it happens to plummet, then it won’t hurt so much, and at least I can still walk away with hefty gains.

Of course, Wells Fargo isn’t in such a dire situation. I think that this company has proven its resiliency over the past year. But for those of you who are investing in some shares that are a little more shaky, this idea, when applied with a balanced approach, can tip the delicate balance of risk vs. rewards in your favor. You can increase your profit yet cut down your risks by gradually shifting some money out, but still keep some money in that stock in case it jumps up.

How much should you leave in? I base this in the dollar amount that equals the amount of risk I am willing to take on such a company. For example, I recently sold off shares of LJPC because I felt that I made a good amount of profit from that company, but I knew that even though this company doesn’t seem to have an extremely bright future, it might be bought out or merged, which often times makes the shares jump up. I was fully aware that the chance of this happening was slim, so I left $50 in LJPC. Now, if the company crashes, it’s not a big loss for me, but if it happens to jump, then at least I’m still in the game (even if it’s not by much, at least I won’t completely lose out!).

It’s important to keep in mind that this is a juggling game that does require some research and energy, but can help save you from making some terrible mistakes in the long run. After playing with this method for some time, you can develop a sense of how to weigh your risk in terms of dollars, and make more informed, less risky decisions on how much money you should leave in a certain company’s stocks.

As a mild-risk investor, I do my best to not get caught up in the “what ifs” of life, because those “what ifs” will haunt you forever. You can only base your feelings towards your investment on what you currently have, and make educated decisions on what works best for you. I’ve been practicing this method for a few months now, and it has worked wonders for me. Sure, my rewards might seem modest at first, but if you take into account the amount of losses I avoided by using this method, then you can see the advantages of learning how to perfect this method.

-The Sluggy One

 * Completed enrollment in XOMA 052 Phase 1 program in Type 2
   diabetes: Nearly 100 Type 2 diabetes patients were enrolled
   in the Phase 1 trials, which were designed to evaluate a wide
   range of dose levels, single and multiple dose regimens, and
   intravenous and subcutaneous routes of administration. Interim
   results from the single dose intravenous trials, presented in
   September 2008, demonstrated that XOMA 052 was well-tolerated
   across all doses and demonstrated biological activity, including
   reduced levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, increased insulin
   production and decreased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a
   marker of cardiovascular risk. These interim results support the
   potential for XOMA 052 as a novel anti-inflammatory approach to
   diabetes treatment and XOMA's plan to initiate a Phase 2 program
   in the third quarter of 2009.

 * Expanded Takeda collaboration, which provided XOMA with a $29
   million fee and potential future milestones and royalties: In
   February 2009, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) and
   XOMA expanded an existing collaboration to provide Takeda with
   access to multiple antibody technologies, including a suite of
   integrated information and data management systems.  XOMA has
   paid $5.8 million of an estimated $7.5 million for taxes and
   other costs related to the expanded collaboration, resulting in
   net cash proceeds received in February 2009 of $23.2 million.

 * Reduced operating costs: XOMA has undertaken multiple cost
   reduction measures that have allowed the company to focus
   research and development spending on the most promising
   proprietary development programs, including XOMA 052 in Type 2
   diabetes. The company expects an annualized reduction of $27
   million in cash expenditures when reductions are completed in
   the current quarter.

Take a look at VNDA’s SEC Filings & Historical Prices:

VNDA SEC FILING

VNDA’s HISTORICAL PRICES

Compare to XOMA’s SEC Filing and Historical Prices:

XOMA SEC FILING

XOMA”s HISTORICAL PRICES

Though some of the SEC Filings may seem meaningless I think it is very important to bare in mind that insiders are buying as much as they can so urgently.  It begs the question, why weren’t they urgently buying when the price was in the $0.30 to $0.50′s range?

The most important question here is  … What do you think?

“…sipping on Gin and Juice, laaaaid back, with my mind on my money and my money on my mind!”

Good luck to ALL

-Jin&Juice =D