WEALTH on WIRE

Which insiders are selling and buying chunks of stocks? While trading penny stocks, insider open market trading is one of the best way to judge the stock movements.  

Below are lists of the top 10 open-market insider purchases and sales filed at the Securities and Exchange Commission in January 2010,  as ranked by dollar value. Company executives and directors are in the best position to assess the attractiveness of their firms’ shares, and here is how many of them are voting their wallets! Please note, however, that these are factual lists, not buy and sell recommendations. Dollar value is only one metric to assess the importance of an insider transaction.

SpongeTech® Delivery Systems, Inc. (OTC: SPNG – News) is pleased to announce a new soap-infused sponge designed for cleaning all marine surfaces and water crafts. The new “Marine Wash & Wax System” comes with one infused wash and wax sponge, one detail sponge, and one Eliminator™ chamois. The sponges are manufactured with the same patented technology used in SpongeTech’s innovative reusable cleaning products. They are embedded with specially formulated antibacterial soap and wax which dispenses only when wet and squeezed with the ability to wash and wax boats and water crafts multiple times. SpongeTech’s “delivery system” technology also inhibits the growth of germs and/or bacteria within the sponge.

The Marine Detail Sponge removes scuff and dock marks; polishes propellers; and removes dirt, scum, grease, oil, fish blood and salt residue, all while being safe for use on water crafts, fish finders, and GPS systems. The system also comes with an “Eliminator™ Chamois” which holds 8 times its weight in water and dries each vessel to a high shine.

SpongeTech’s COO Steven Moskowitz commented, “The marine products add significant value to our already popular product lines. We believe this is just what the marine industry needs to help keep boats and water crafts cleaner with an affordable multi-use product.”

The Marine Wash & Wax System is available to purchase online and is expected in retail locations this year.

SpongeTech® Delivery Systems is a company which designs, produces, and markets unique lines of reusable cleaning products for Car Care, Child Care, Home Care and Pet Care usages. These sponge-like products utilize SpongeTech’s proprietary, patent (and patent-pending) technologies and other technologies involving hydrophilic (liquid absorbing) foam, polyurethane matrices or other ingredients. The Company’s sponge-like products are pre-loaded with specially formulated ingredients such as soap, conditioner and/or wax that are released when the sponge is soaked and applied to a surface with minimal pressure. SpongeTech is currently exploring additional applications for its technology in the health, beauty, and medical markets. SpongeTech® Delivery Systems, Inc. intends to globally brand its products as The Smarter Sponge™.

Cord Blood America, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CBAI), the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company (http://www.cordblood-america.com ) focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells, a biological insurance policy, to families nationwide and internationally, announced today that the Grand Opening of its Las Vegas corporate office and laboratory, beginning at Noon to 5 p.m. on Friday, January 22, 2010, will occur whether it rains or the sun shines.

“We anticipate nice weather and look forward to meeting all our investors. But even if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate, our Grand Opening will go on,” said Matthew Schissler, co-founder and CEO. The facility is at 1857 Helm Drive, Las Vegas 89119, near the city’s airport in the Spencer Airport Business Park.

Everyday we are hearing a story on the miracle cure using Cord Blood / Stem Cell.  Here is a list of diseases that can be  treated with Cord Blood.

Leukemias , Lymphomas and other Blood Cancers

• Acute Biphenotypic Leukemia†
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
• Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
• Acute Undifferentiated Leukemia†
• Adult T Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
• Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
• Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Juvenile Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (JCML)
• Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML)
• Multiple Myeloma
• Myeloid/Natural Killer (NK) Cell Precursor Acute Leukemia
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Prolymphocytic Leukemia
• Plasma Cell Leukemia
• Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia

Other Cancers

1. Brain Tumors††
2. Ewing Sarcoma†
3. Neuroblastoma
4. Ovarian Cancer††
5. Renal Cell Carcinoma††
6. Rhabdomyosarcoma
7. Small-Cell Lung Cancer††
8. Testicular Cancer††
9. Thymoma (Thymic Carcinoma)

Bone Marrow Failure Disorders

1. Amegakaryocytosis
2. Aplastic Anemia (Severe)
3. Blackfan-Diamond Anemia
4. Congenital Cytopenia†
5. Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia
6. Dyskeratosis Congenita
7. Fanconi Anemia
8. Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH)
9. Pure Red Cell Aplasia

Hemoglobinopathies

1. Beta Thalassemia Major
   Sickle Cell Disease

Histiocytic Disorders

1. Familial Erythrophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis
2. Hemophagocytosis
3. Langerhans’ Cell Histiocytosis (Histiocytosis X)

Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Disorders

1. Acute Myelofibrosis†
2. Agnogenic Myeloid Metaplasia (Myelofibrosis)†
3. Amyloidosis
4. Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML)
5. Essential Thrombocythemia†
6. Polycythemia Vera†
7. Refractory Anemias (RA) including:
   • Refractory Anemia with Excess Blasts (RAEB)
   • Refractory Anemia with Excess Blasts in Transformation (RAEB-T)
   • Refractory Anemia with Ringed Sideroblasts (RARS)

Inherited Metabolic Disorders

1. Adrenoleukodystrophy
2. Fucosidosis
3. Gaucher Disease†
4. Hunter Syndrome (MPS-II)
5. Hurler Syndrome (MPS-IH)
6. Krabbe Disease
7. Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome
8. Mannosidosis†
9. Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome (MPS-VI)
10. Metachromatic Leukodystrophy
11. Mucolipidosis II (I-cell Disease)†
12. Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Batten Disease)†
13. Niemann-Pick Disease†
14. Sandhoff Disease†
15. Sanfilippo Syndrome (MPS-III)
16. Scheie Syndrome (MPS-IS)
17. Sly Syndrome (MPS-VII)
18. Tay Sachs†
19. Wolman Disease

Inherited Immune System Disorders

1. Chronic Granulomatous Disease
2. Congenital Neutropenia
3. Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency
4. Severe Combined Immunodeficiencies (SCID) including:
   • Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency†
   • Bare Lymphocyte Syndrome
   • Chediak-Higashi Syndrome†
   • Kostmann Syndrome
   • Omenn Syndrome
   • Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase Deficiency
   • Reticular Dysgenesis
5. Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
6. X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disorder

Other Inherited Disorders

1. Cartilage-Hair Hypoplasia
2. Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria (Gunther Disease)
3. DiGeorge Syndrome
4. Osteopetrosis

Other

1. Chronic Active Epstein Barr
2. Evans Syndrome
3. Multiple Sclerosis††
4. Rheumatoid Arthritis††
5. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus††
6. Thymic Dysplasia

In a cheery home with blood-red walls in Borivli’s IC Colony, 23-year-old Ankur Nath welcomed the New Year by snacking on pizzas. Pizzas on party nights may be commonplace, but this was a special case: in the past nine years. Ankur had never eaten a single morsel through his mouth.

Some distance away to the south, Dr Hemangi Sane spent the 31st in her Dadar flat making a mental list of changes. “My shoulders are no longer droopy. I can speak clearly and for hours at a stretch. I can walk without swaying,’’ the 34-year-old listed. Until August, she spoke mostly in whispers and, while walking with assistance, could only register the designs on the floor. “Now, I can hold my neck up and watch all the beautiful colours,’’ she added.

What has brought about the subtle changes in Ankur and Hemangi is a dose of stem cell therapy at the civic-run Sion Hospital four months back. A fortnight back, the US gave the green signal for the first clinical trial of stem cell therapy for spinal cord patients, but in Mumbai the therapy has for the past two years been bringing smiles and enhancing the quality of life for seriously ill patients.

While Ankur suffers from muscular dystrophy, a disorder in which the muscles waste away, Hemangi has motor neuron disease, which is better known as the condition that crippled British scientist Stephen Hawking. Both are terminal conditions.

Stem cells are the master cells of the body, having the ability to take on the function of any organ cell. In the last five years, many centres across India have been offering stem cell therapy to patients but a complete cure is still a distant dream, admit doctors.

Sceptics abound. A senior doctor who doesn’t want to be named feels that stem cells are, at present, over-rated. “There is no known cure for progressive neurological disorders. While studies are being done across the world, none have shown any concrete results in academic sense,’’ said the doctor. Another doctor alleged that the talk of stem cell therapy only resulted in patients making a beeline for private clinics that offered the same therapy for lakhs of rupees. “Patients and their families are so desperate that they don’t really think long-term,’’ he added.

But the degree of changes in the patient’s life is there for all to see. Incidentally, two former city mayors played a role in getting both Ankur and Hemangi to the Sion Hospital’s stem cell therapy laboratory. While Dr Shubha Raul was instrumental in getting the hospital team led by neurosurgeon Dr Alok Sharma to evaluate Ankur, Vishaka Raut is Hemangi’s aunt.

“My aunt was confident that stem cells would help me, but I was sceptical, having tried out everything from ayurveda to cosmic therapy,’’ said Dr Hemangi, who was working as an internal medicine specialist in New York when the diagnosis was made.

The first patient whom Sion Hospital treated, Ravindra Ahire, who met with a bike accident in April 2007 and sustained severe spinal cord injuries, is, in fact, walking with a stick. “We have treated 76 patients with various diseases so far and most are doing much better than what they were doing before the therapy,’’ said Dr Sharma, who began the stem cell treatment after years of conducting laboratory studies.

“Muscular atrophy and motor neuron disease can bring about a complete change in the patient’s life. By offering them stem cell therapy, we have managed to brighten their lives to an extent. They are more independent than before,’’ said Dr Sandhya Kamat, dean of Sion Hospital.

In fact, Dr Sharma feels that Ankur’s recovery “after stem cell therapy is nothing short of miraculous’’. For one, Ankur was the first patient on a ventilator to be treated by the Sion team.

“While the results of stem cell therapy with spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis patients are good, the results with motor neuron disease are not as encouraging. Yet, approximately half the patients do show a positive response. Fortunately, Dr Hemangi was one of them,’’ said Dr Sharma.

Sentinel OCT System allows surgeons to treat complex procedures from the occiput to the thoracic spine.

HOFFMAN ESTATES:  Life Spine announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given 510(k) marketing approval to the SENTINEL Occipito-Cervico-Thoracic (OCT) System.

The SENTINEL OCT System provides rigid stabilization and promotes fusion from the occiput to thoracic spine, and features streamlined implants and instruments to address complicated procedures. Polyaxial screws are available in multiple diameters and lengths, and offer a generous cone angulation, which simplifies alignment with the rod and minimizes rod contouring.

The addition of the SENTINEL OCT System to the current broad product offering is a watershed event providing the ability to offer surgeons a full range of solutions to address spinal pathologies from the occiput to the sacrum. The SENTINEL OCT System makes its mark as the twentieth 510(k) approval to date for Life Spine.

Life Spine is dedicated to improving the quality of life for spinal patients by increasing procedural efficiency and efficacy through innovative design, uncompromising quality standards, and the most technologically advanced manufacturing platforms. Life Spine, which is privately held, is based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. For more information, please visit http://www.lifespine.com.

What is Biotechnology?

Biotechnology is technology based on biology, agriculture, food science, and medicine. Modern use of the term usually refers to genetic engineering as well as cell- and tissue culture technologies.

Biotechnology has applications in four major industrial areas, including health care (medical), crop production and agriculture, non food (industrial) uses of crops and other products (e.g. biodegradable plastics, vegetable oil, biofuels), and environmental uses.

For example, one application of biotechnology is the directed use of organisms for the manufacture of organic products (examples include beer and milk products). Another example is using naturally present bacteria by the mining industry in bioleaching. Biotechnology is also used to recycle, treat waste, clean up sites contaminated by industrial activities (bioremediation), and also to produce biological weapons.

There are different brances of  Biotechnology as a science. Red biotechnology is applied to medical processes. Some examples are the designing of organisms to produce antibiotics, and the engineering of genetic cures through genomic manipulation.  In this article we will look into red biotechnology primarily.

Most traditional pharmaceutical drugs are relatively simple molecules that have been found primarily through trial and error to treat the symptoms of a disease or illness. Biopharmaceuticals are large biological molecules known as proteins and these usually target the underlying mechanisms and pathways of a malady (but not always, as is the case with using insulin to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus, as that treatment merely addresses the symptoms of the disease, not the underlying cause which is autoimmunity); it is a relatively young industry. They can deal with targets in humans that may not be accessible with traditional medicines. A patient typically is dosed with a small molecule via a tablet while a large molecule is typically injected.

Small molecules are manufactured by chemistry but larger molecules are created by living cells such as those found in the human body: for example, bacteria cells, yeast cells, animal or plant cells.

Modern biotechnology is often associated with the use of genetically altered microorganisms such as E. coli or yeast for the production of substances like synthetic insulin or antibiotics. It can also refer to transgenic animals or transgenic plants, such as Bt corn. Genetically altered mammalian cells, such as Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, are also used to manufacture certain pharmaceuticals. Another promising new biotechnology application is the development of plant-made pharmaceuticals.

How, and when to communicate money values to children is, however, one of the toughest challenges that parents face.

Educating, motivating, and empowering children to become regular savers and investors will enable them to keep more of the money they earn and do more with the money they spend.

So many parents do not discuss finances within the family either because it’s considered inappropriate, or personal. Consider this: if you don’t actively provide the correct information to your child, how is he/ she to know, understand and inculcate your values?

Therefore, as soon as your child can count, introduce him/ her to money. Observation and repetition are two important ways in which children learn.
As they grow older, have frank discussions about how to save it, how to make it grow, and how to spend it wisely.

If they can differentiate between need-to-have and nice-to-have, then they’re halfway to a solid and secure future.

Better still, help your child set his/ her own goals. If it’s a toy that they must have, then regard this as a good opportunity to teach your child how to be responsible with money, and prioritize between what they want, and mindless spending.

Allow your child to make spending decisions, which means that they will learn from the choices they make.

And learn that it’s to their advantage to do a little homework before buying, waiting for the right time to buy, and actually deciding if the product selected is what they really want.

Begin simply, as your parents might have done, with a piggy bank. If you do give your child an allowance, get them to set aside a small portion of it every time.

Explain and demonstrate the concept of earning interest income on savings. Incentives it; offer to match what your child saves on his/ her own.

To make it easy, use 12 envelopes, 1 for each month, with a larger envelope to hold all the envelopes for the year.

Encourage your child to save receipts from all purchases in the envelopes and keep notes on what he/ she does with his/ her money.

Learning by observing and doing is the most powerful tool. Such as when you go grocery shopping, and can use the opportunity to showcase planned spending, or how to recognize value for money.

Or if you decide to use a credit card at a restaurant, you could show your child how a credit card works, when it can be used, and how to calculate a tip!

Finally, your child needs to understand that spending money can be fun and very productive when spending is well-planned, and that a penny saved is, indeed, a penny earned!

NEW DELHI: Indian flagship carrier Air India, struggling with massive losses, has cancelled orders for five Boeing 777 planes, a report said on Friday.

A newspaper said the state-run airline was claiming 710 million dollars from the US planemaker for failing to deliver 27 B-787 aircraft on time.

“The cancellation orders have already been issued by my engineering department,” Air India chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

He alleged that Boeing’s failure to deliver the 27 B-787 planes had caused large losses for the company.

“The entire schedule of Air India has gone haywire. We have put a claim of 710 million dollars for their failure to deliver the aircrafts to us in time,” the Air India chief told the newspaper.

Spokesmen for both Air India and Boeing declined immediate comment on the report.

Air India in 2006 signed a formal agreement to buy 68 Boeing airplanes in a deal that was estimated to be worth around eight billion dollars.

The carrier said it would buy 23 777s, 27 787-8 Dreamliners and 18 next-generation 737-800s.

The list price for a single aircraft varies from 165 million to 200 million dollars but Air India was believed to have negotiated a lower price because of its large order.

The airline faces a financial crisis after posting an estimated one billion dollar loss for the fiscal year ended March 31 and is hoping for a big government rescue package.

Faced with a sharp downturn in air traffic and overcapacity, it is also seeking to cut overhead costs by rationalising routes and aircraft deliveries.

What are the viability of Biotech firms.  Why some biotech firms remains as microcaps for extended period, while some of them acquired by large pharma companies?

The truth is, it’s hard to find a successful large-cap biotechnology company because most get acquired before they reach large-cap status. Companies in biotech  industry are always in need of cash, whereas  big pharmaceutical firms are cash-rich and are  in desperate need of pipeline drugs.  These small-cap biotech start up firms are there easy catch.

Most biotechnology companies are started by a brilliant scientist with an idea, sadly a brilliant scientist is not always a brilliant businessman.  These companies dream of becoming the next Genentech, Amgen, or Genzyme. But building a successful biotechnology company takes a lot more than just a brilliant scientist with a great idea.

Most of the biotech companies trade at sub-$1 levels, because biotech drug development is both extremely expensive and very high-risk. As a result, most biotechnology companies either fail in the clinical program or run out of money while trying.  Most pharmaceutical names are sitting on billions of dollars in cash, while their late-stage research pipelines are drying up.

Most Biotech company management  are overconfident, under experienced, and fail to truly understand the competitive landscape for their drug. This results in biotech companies reluctant to partner with pharmaceutical companies too early in the development process, because they think they can either do it alone or they will command a far greater price the further along they develop the asset. 

In theory, this is true. The difficulties of commercializing a successful biotech drug, however, only increase as development pushes further along. And successfully completing a Phase III trial is not the finish line, it is just the start of a whole new marathon that now includes preparing an NDA/BLA, getting that application passed by the FDA, manufacturing the drug, and then, managing a sales force, as well as Wall Street expectations. As a result, an asset that was partnerable after encouraging Phase II data becomes unpartnerable after the Phase III trial fails or the FDA requests additional data prior to approval.