Pharmaceutical Names Targeting Unmet Medical Needs May See Very Significant Revenues: Senior Analyst Brian Skorney Discusses the Opportunities in the Treatment of Fatal Progressive Diseases and Hepatitis C

67 WALL STREET, New York - April 29, 2013 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs and Equity Analysts. The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

Topics covered: Health Care - Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals - Executive Officer Interviews - Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Investing - Orphan Drug and Biologics Manufacturing - Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Companies Valuation

Companies include: Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD), Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IDIX), Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc (ACHN), Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorpo (VRTX), Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CBST), Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OPTR), Theravance Inc. (THRX), InterMune Inc. (ITMN), GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY), Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK), Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALXN) and many more.

In the following excerpt from the Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Report, an expert analyst discusses the outlook for the sector for investors:

TWST: Which kinds of treatments or specific drugs do you think represent the most promising opportunities that investors may want to take a closer look at?

Mr. Skorney: One of the names that I launched on, Sarepta, I think is a very interesting company. They have a drug that's in development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is a fatal progressive disease - let's say is a small patient population, but it's a really terrible path for these patients, and this is really one of the first drugs that has the promise of stopping the progression of the disease.

I think drugs like this or opportunities like this are generally what I try to look for - indications where there is really a very significant unmet medical need that can justify very, very significant revenues, either in an orphan indication, or the disease is so bad and the options are so few and the benefit of the drug is so significant that there is very little price sensitivity.

Or for something like hepatitis C, where there may be a lot more price sensitivity, but there is a very, very significant number of patients out there in the world who have the disease and is a curative therapy that has very little toxicity and very high rate of efficacy.

TWST: You have "outperform" ratings on most of your stocks and "neutral" ratings on two. What concerns do you have about your "neutral"-rated stocks, and what changes would be catalysts to consider upgrades?

Mr. Skorney: So, the two that I have "neutrals" on right now are Idenix and Cubist. Starting with Cubist, I think it's a very good company that has done very well with a drug that's been commercial for a number of years now, and is getting close to hitting the billion-dollar kind of blockbuster threshold. The drug is called Cubicin. I just think that the opportunity is pretty much priced in...

For more of this interview and many others visit the Wall Street Transcript - a unique service for investors and industry researchers - providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs, portfolio managers and research analysts. This special issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.