Out Fox The $treet

After reporting Q3 earnings, Savient Pharma (SVNT) plummeted back to $1 from the meteoric rise to nearly $3 during September. The stock has been stuck around that $1 level for the last two months. Will the new EU approval for KRYSTEXXA finally unleash the stock? The company is a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing KRYSTEXXA (pegloticase) for the treatment of chronic gout in adult patients refractory to conventional therapy. As written in previous articles (see here), the company was able to complete a restructuring that provided time to build the revenue base in the US. While all of those moves left the company better equipped to survive long enough for the promising new drug to thrive, Savient has yet to prove to the market that the drug will ever meet the original estimates. Will the lowered cost structure even be sufficient enough to survive? Read the full article at Seeking Alpha. Disclosure: Long SVNT. Read the disclaimer page f...

Effective January 1st, KRYSTEXXA was assigned permanent J-code J2507 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This code allows healthcare providers an easier and quicker method for getting reimbursed for KRYSTEXXA infusions. While already known that KRYSTEXXA would get the permanent code on January 1st, confirmation is always good. Saivent Pharma (SVNT) had a horrible 2011 due to slow sales from this new drug approved for treatment for refractory chronic gout (RCG). The J code will undoubtedly help. By all accounts, the new drug works and the only issue has been working out the reimbursement process. Considering the time it takes to work through the system, SVNT doesn't expect a major impact until Q2. At just $2.4 and with a market cap around $170M, SVNT has become an extremely cheap stock if this J code solves all the issues with sales. It seems bizarre that this would solve the problems, but it is an expensive drug. Via SVNT PR: product-specific billing...

Savient Pharma ( SVNT ) - a small cap biotech trading 50% below the 52 week high with an approved FDA drug with blockbuster potential - provides an ideal risk/reward scenario. The approved drug also has orphan status, giving it a 7 year marketing exclusivity. Naturally, the stock wouldn't still fall into the small cap arena if everybody agreed on the blockbuster potential of Kyrstexxa. The drug is one of the first for gout in over 40 years and provides treatment of chronic gout in adult patients refractory to conventional therapy. It treats an previously untreatable disease, providing for a under-served patient base. This is why many analysts and investors are high on SVNT and the blockbuster potential of the drug. Read the whole story at Seeking Alpha . 

Company refused to provide information on the failed buyout process so investors are left guessing the interest level. On one hand, its understandable that management doesn't want to discuss details in order to not hurt their hand in future discussions. On the other hand though, they need to do something better to support the stock price and shareholders. They should provide some expectations on sales price since they apparently aren't willing to sale to the highest bidder. They're leaving too much open for interpretation and the market has spoken that its not acceptable. Having said that, I was pleased to hear the company has made a lot of progress towards the launch of KRYSTEXXA. They already have the initial product labeled and ready. Marketing materials are waiting for approval from the FDA. One of the largest private payers has already agreed to include it as a reimbursable cost without knowing price. They also expect limited costs to develop the infrastructure neede...

Savinet Pharma (SVNT) might be one of today's biggest losers, but it could be tomorrow's biggest gainer. SVNT announced that they have been unable to find a buyer at a suitable price for the company. The stock initially dropped over 50% to a 52 week low on the announcement. Was the move warranted? Regardless of whether SVNT is bought out, the company still owns an orphan drug, KRYSTEXXA, recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of severe gout cases where no other option exists. The intrinsic value of the company hasn't changed because they couldn't find a deal for an agreeable price. The only change is the value an investor can expect to receive in the short term. With the drop in price, I'm sure a significant amount of companies have called seeing if management would drop there price to a level likely very attractive with the stock currently trading in the $12s around midday. SVNT could be tomorrow's biggest gainer. While the news is disappointing t...