Robinhood IPO Has Retail Traders Excited About Penny Stocks
While penny stocks have long been a trending topic among retail traders, today’s a little different. The app that was made popular by this exact group of investors, Robinhood, is making its public debut. With that, social media message boards like Reddit, Twitter, and others are abuzz with speculation. While the Robinhood IPO marks a new page for retail brokers, it suggests that the next generation of market participants finds value in untraditional places.
When it first graced the app store, Robinhood became the original “no fee” brokerage. This soon saw retail traders flocking to the platform to find more ways to make money in the stock market. Fast-forward a few years, and, yes, the platform has gone through its paces.
[Read More] Biotech Stocks Are In Focus After Merck’s FDA Approval & 1 Stands Out
But what has also happened is the landscape for retail trading brokerage services has dramatically evolved. Lower and no-fee platforms have become a norm in the stock market today. With the latest Robinhood IPO, it’s almost a sign that institutional companies aren’t the only choice anymore and that the rise of the retail investor is alive and well.
Biotech Stocks In Focus This Week
This week has been full of momentum both in broader markets and specific industries. Big news from the likes of Merck (NYSE:MKR) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) helped shed light on the state of cancer stocks. Both companies reported significant events ranging from FDA approvals to revenue growth thanks to their cancer treatments.
By the look of things, that bullish sentiment hasn’t subsided either. On Thursday, one of the biotech industry benchmark ETFs, Nasdaq’s Biotech ETF (NASDAQ:IBB), made a fresh 5-month high. Keeping this in mind, not only are cancer stocks a focus this week but the broader industry is too. In this article, we’ll take a look at several former biotech penny stocks to watch heading into the Robinhood IPO day.
- GT Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ:GTBP)
- PAVmed Inc. (NASDAQ:PAVM)
- Intec Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ:NTEC)
Biotech Stocks To Watch #1: GT Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ: GTBP)
GT Biopharma has several things going on right now that put some important timing in focus. The company has developed a novel treatment pipeline centered around Natural Killer (or “NK”) cell therapy. Traditional immunotherapies like chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (or “CAR-T”) need a match from a specific donor to a specific patient. So, this makes it hard to mass-produce since everyone is different.
On the other hand, NK cells are genetically engineered healthy cells manufactured from normal, healthy donors. Since this treatment involves allogeneic cell lines, NK cells can be developed to trigger certain immune responses in various patients. These cells can “identify” cancer cells on their own and can also be paired with CARs in certain situations.
Why is this important to GT Biopharma? The company has taken NK treatment a step further by developing a tri-specific natural killer engager treatment platform (or “TriKETM“). This is the framework for its robust pipeline of treatment candidates to drive tumor cell killing power to exponential levels.
What To Watch With GT Biopharma
The reason why the timing could be important to some who’re looking at GT Biopharma right now has to do with its lead treatment candidate, GTB-3550. This is the company’s first TriKE™ candidate under development for treating acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome. Initial results in Phase 1 dose-escalation have demonstrated meaningful responses from patients. In fact, CEO Anthony Cataldo discussed some of the specifics with PennyStocks.com directly.
“I’m impressed by the progress being made in the Phase 1/2 GTB-3550 clinical trials. To date, we still have yet to see one patient experience an adverse event like cytokine release syndrome even at the highest dose levels in this cohort.”
What’s more, August and September are slated for new details to potentially emerge. In particular, the Phase 1 safety portion is expected to finish up in late August, with a data publication scheduled for the end of September. Thanks to data already available, some analysts have even come out to raise expectations ahead of this pivotal month. B. Riley analysts stated, “We are encouraged by the mounting evidence of clinical activity and the emerging safety profile of lead asset GTB-3550…With the dose-escalation portion of the trial expected to complete towards the end of August 2021, we are raising our probability of success for GTB-3550.”
GT Biopharma’s TriKE platform is also being studied in other cancers, including breast, lung, gastric, colorectal, and ovarian indications. This opens a whole new area of study for the company’s additional treatment candidates. See More On GT Biopharma Here.
2. PAVmed Inc. (NASDAQ: PAVM)
Like GTBP, shares of PAVM stock have gone from penny stock levels to trading well above $5 a share. This week, the biotech company’s stock price reached a fresh 52-week high of $7.50 following a series of key updates. The company’s Lucid Diagnostics subsidiary launched a strategic partnership with UpScriptHealth. The detail will see the two companies collaborating to support Lucid’s EsoGuard Telemedicine Program. UpScript will provide a branded web platform for telemedicine services. Patients with chronic heartburn can request a video evaluation by a doctor and have an opportunity for a referral to Lucid’s EsoGuard Esophageal DNA Test.
What’s more, biotech industry vet and former CEO of Exact Sciences (NASDAQ:EXAS) joined Lucid’s Board as Vice Chairman. Stanley Lapidus was already a strategic advisor to Lucid and now comes on to serve a larger role. “I am joining the Lucid team because they are on that very same quest—to prevent deaths from esophageal cancer as we have done for cervical and colon cancer,” said Mr. Lapidus.
What To Watch With PAVmed
The progress from Lucid is one aspect that traders are watching with PAVmed. However, an earlier development this summer may have also acted as a catalyst for the record-setting move in 2021. Once again, this involves Lucid’s EsoGuard test. It received a European CE mark certification. This now allows the test to be marketed in numerous European countries.
[Read More] Top Biotech Stocks To Watch After Bristol Myers’ Opdivo Sees Q2 Growth
While PAVmed isn’t developing a cancer treatment, the EsoGuard platform is the first step to potential prevention. According to the company, it is the first and only commercially available diagnostic test capable of widespread screening to prevent esophageal cancer deaths through early detection of esophageal precancer and cancer in at-risk chronic heartburn patients.
3. Intec Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: NTEC)
Finally, Intec is likely one of the biotech penny stocks that are familiar to readers. Had it not been for a recent reverse split, it may have still been trading under $5. However, thanks to a recent deal that will see it merge with another company, Decoy Biosystems, Intec has recently announced a $30 million private placement, and 1 for 4 reverse split ahead of this deal.
While it has been a big part of the discussion on marijuana stocks, Intec also plays a larger role in biotech. One of the core points of interest for the company is its Accordion Pill delivery system. It hopes to enhance the efficacy and safety of existing drugs by utilizing this technology. One of its early state developments for the system is with its “AP-cannabinoids” platform. The goal is the leverage the Accordion Pill to deliver each or a combination of primary cannabinoids within Cannabis sativa, cannabidiol, and tetrahydrocannabinol.
The company recently gained attention after traders circulated a European Patent specification for “Delivery Device For Oral Intake Of An Agent.” In particular, the patent stated, “This invention relates generally to apparatuses for forming delivery systems for the controlled release of active agents and more preferably for forming delivery system with gastroretentivity.”
What To Watch With Intec
Aside from the cannabis directive, the company has also built a stronger pipeline for things like cancer. In fact, late last month, a patent abstract from Decoy surfaced. It showed that this was for Decoy’s “Compositions and methods for treatment of cancer using bacteria’ and that the patent was granted. With the latest proposed merger seemingly coming to fruition, this additional piece could give the company more exposure to the mounting cancer trend in the market recently. Shares have catapulted to highs of $17.80 during the week.
Biotech Stocks To Watch Right Now
The long and short of it is that interest continues growing around oncology stocks. With big news from industry leaders like Merck, Bristol Myers, and Novartis, it makes sense that oncology treatment stocks have become a focus. Heading into the second half of the year, it will be interesting to see how upcoming data readouts, mergers, and the like play into some of the companies mentioned above. Are cancer stocks on your watch list right now?
Pursuant to an agreement between Midam Ventures LLC and GT Biopharma (GTBP) Midam has been paid $150,000 for a period from March 1, 2021, to April 1, 2021. This compensation is payment 1 of 12 as part of a 12-month agreement between Midam Ventures LLC & GT Biopharma (GTBP), for a period from March 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022. Midam Ventures LLC expects to be paid $150,000 per month for a total of 12 months by GT Biopharma (GTBP). Midam has been paid an additional $150,000 for a period from April 2, 2021, to May 1, 2021. This compensation is payment 2 of 12 as part of the Agreement. Midam has been paid an additional $150,000 for a period from May 2, 2021, to June 1, 2021. This compensation is payment 3 of 12 as part of the Agreement. Midam has been paid an additional $150,000 for a period from June 2, 2021, to July 1, 2021. This compensation is payment 4 of 12 as part of the Agreement. Midam has been paid an additional $200,000 for a period from July 2, 2021, to August 2, 2021. This compensation is payment 5 of 12 as part of the Agreement. We may buy or sell additional shares of GT Biopharma (GTBP) in the open market at any time, including before, during, or after the Website and Information, to provide public dissemination of favorable Information about GT Biopharma (GTBP). Click here for full disclaimer.
