BiotechFeatured

NanoViricides: A Unicorn For Biotech Investors

The OTC markets are filled with zero-revenue biotech companies looking for research funding through issuance of equity but, it is very difficult for investors to evaluate the future potential of most of these players given the complexity of their research, the uncertainty associated with product launches and revenues, and the fact that these companies have no real financial fundamentals. Given this situation, the best metrics for evaluation used by most biotech investors are the status of the drug pipeline, the time-to-commercialization, and size of the addressable markets. Few companies come up as true potential winners with multiple drugs at advanced stages of trials, a short time-to-market, and a large addressable customer base and NanoViricides (NYSE: NNVC) is most certainly, one of the top-most companies on this brief list.

What Does NanoViricides Do?

Founded in 2005, NanoViricides, Inc. is a development stage nano-biopharmaceutical Company focused on countering viral infections. Its research involves the use of a unique nanomedicine technology called nanoviricides – agents designed to “fool” a virus into attaching to an antiviral nanomachine, in the same way that the virus normally attaches to the receptors on a cell surface, but for the purpose of its neutralization and destruction. Based in Connecticut, the Company is developing nanoviricide drug candidates against several commercially important viral diseases, such as: cold sores, genital herpes infection, shingles rash, viral eye diseases, seasonal and potentially-epidemic influenzas and bird flu, HIV/AIDS, as well as dengue viruses. NanoViricides’ lead drug is NV-HHV-101, a dermal topical treatment for shingles, which is in the HerpeCide™ program that the Company is developing. The HerpeCide™ program also has topical creams for cold sores and genital ulcers in the pipeline, with treatment for viral eye diseases on the shorter-term horizon.

Solid Manufacturing Capability

What makes NanoViricides unique is the fact that the Company fully owns a cGMP manufacturing facility for its complex nanomedicine drugs. This enables management to optimize production time and minimize related costs. NanoViricides has the capacity to manufacture its drug candidates as needed for human clinical trials at this facility, allowing rapid progress into the clinic. In fact, in terms of the capability to manufacture polymers for their products, the Company has manufacturing control to the extent of 1 monomer unit with respect to their length which is an immense achievement for a Company that is still in the development phase. This one-of-a-kind manufacturing capability is the first green light in favor of the stock.

NV-HHV-101 – NanoViricides’s Lead Drug Candidate

NanoViricides’ lead drug candidate NV-HHV-101, is on track with required preclinical GLP Safety and Toxicology studies, rapidly moving towards human clinical trials. Management has stated that NV-HHV-101 has been found to be safe in the clinical observation of the GLP Safety/Toxicology study of the drug as a dermal treatment for shingles.

The first of the GLP studies following dermal treatment, was conducted using minipigs, which received twice daily skin treatment for 28 days, at different dosage levels. The animals were evaluated every day for general signs of toxicity and specific evaluation of the skin treatment areas. The studies were deemed a success as the topical treatment of the skin at all doses, was well tolerated in all animals and all measured parameters remained within normal range in the study. The management has previously found that NV-HHV-101 was safe and well tolerated in non-GLP safety/toxicology studies.

The Company tested this candidate using human skin infection by VZV, in a human model for effectiveness, as well as safety. The testing was done in Professor Jennifer Moffat’s lab at the Upstate Medical Center, SUNY, Syracuse, NY. This third party testing using human skin provides substantial confidence regarding success in human clinical trials.

The Company anticipates advancing NV-HHV-101 into human clinical trials and is also evaluating other variations of the same candidate, for the treatment of other herpes viruses, namely HSV-1 (cold sores) and HSV-2 (genital herpes). These are expected to follow the shingles candidate into IND-enabling development and then into human clinical trials. The estimated market size of this HerpeCide program (HSV-1 and HSV-2) is estimated to be over ten billion dollars.

President and Executive Chairman, Anil Diwan, PhD, believes that the dermal topical cream for the treatment of shingles rash will be the first drug heading into clinical trials which again targets a market over 1 billion dollars. There is at least one more year until commercialization or partnering and for revenues to flow into the Company. However, it is clear, that with such a large addressable market size and hardly any competition, the success of the human trials would result in a positive impact on the stock price.

NanoViricides’s Other Current Pipeline

Nanoviricides is developing anti-influenza drug candidates at pre-clinical and advanced pre-clinical stage, which include two FluCide drugs, such as injectable and oral anti-influenza nanoviricide drug for H7N9. The injectable solution is meant for hospitalized patients whereas the oral solution is for out-patients. These are all in the IND-enabling studies phase.

The Company is developing drug candidates for Bird Flu H5N1, other highly pathogenic influenzas, epidemic influenzas, and seasonal influenzas. DengueCide, NanoViricides’ anti-dengue nanoviricide, which is in pre-clinical development, is undergoing animal testing whereas its HIVCide, an anti-human immunodeficiency virus drug candidate, is also nearing the IND-enabling studies phase. The Company is also developing eye drops against viral infections of the external eye, and is involved in the other research programs against Rabies virus, Ebola, and Marburg viruses.

Current Value & Key Takeaways

The current market capitalization of NanoViricides is about $16 million and the largest component within this value is the worth of its manufacturing facility which is well over $10 million. It is evident that the Company’s stock is trading at a heavy discount as the market is unable to factor for the excellent potential of its products, particularly its cream treatment catering to shingles which is a little over a year away from commercialization, and its herpes candidates which are not too far behind in development. Given these factors, the promising pipeline, and a large addressable market size, it is evident that the stock has excellent potential in the long-term. The first increase in price is projected when the Company’s topical cream for shingles enters human trials. This will validate that the Nanoviricides® platform technology is capable of delivering drugs into the regulatory pipeline. Biotech investors must pay attention to this stock while it is cheap because it is certainly a matter of time before the market realizes its true potential.


DISCLAIMER

SmallCapsDaily has not been compensated for this coverage. This article shouldn’t be thought of, or used as, a funding recommendation. For more information please read our full disclaimer.

Disclaimer

This website is a wholly owned subsidiary of SCD Media, LLC, herein referred to as Smallcaps Daily. Our publications are a commercial advertisement and are for general information purposes ONLY. We are engaged in the business of marketing and advertising companies for monetary compensation. We may receive compensation for this article on a PPC basis as an affiliate. Never invest in any stock featured on our site or emails unless you can afford to lose your entire investment. The disclaimer is to be read and fully understood before using our services, joining our site or our email/blog list as well as any social networking platforms we may use. PLEASE NOTE WELL: Smallcaps Daily and its employees are not a Registered Investment Advisor, Broker Dealer or a member of any association for other research providers in any jurisdiction whatsoever.Release of Liability: Through use of this website viewing or using you agree to hold Smallcaps Daily, its operators owners and employees harmless and to completely release them from any and all liability due to any and all loss (monetary or otherwise), damage (monetary or otherwise), or injury (monetary or otherwise) that you may incur. The information contained herein is based on sources which we believe to be reliable but is not guaranteed by us as being accurate and does not purport to be a complete statement or summary of the available data. Smallcaps Daily encourages readers and investors to supplement the information in these reports with independent research and other professional advice. All information on featured companies is provided by the companies profiled, or is available from public sources and Smallcaps Daily makes no representations, warranties or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the disclosure by the profiled companies. None of the materials or advertisements herein constitute offers or solicitations to purchase or sell securities of the companies profiled herein and any decision to invest in any such company or other financial decisions should not be made based upon the information provided herein. Instead Smallcaps Daily strongly urges you conduct a complete and independent investigation of the respective companies and consideration of all pertinent risks. Readers are advised to review SEC periodic reports: Forms 10-Q, 10K, Form 8-K, insider reports, Forms 3, 4, 5 Schedule 13D. Smallcaps Daily is compliant with the Can Spam Act of 2003. Salesparq, LLC does not offer such advice or analysis, and Smallcaps Daily further urges you to consult your own independent tax, business, financial and investment advisors. Investing in micro-cap and growth securities is highly speculative and carries and extremely high degree of risk. It is possible that an investors investment may be lost or impaired due to the speculative nature of the companies profiled. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides investors a safe harbor in regard to forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, goals, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those presently anticipated. Forward looking statements in this action may be identified through use of words such as projects, foresee, expects, will, anticipates, estimates, believes, understands, or that by statements indicating certain actions & quote; may, could, or might occur. Understand there is no guarantee past performance will be indicative of future results.In preparing this publication, Smallcaps Daily, has relied upon information supplied by its customers, publicly available information and press releases which it believes to be reliable; however, such reliability cannot be guaranteed. Investors should not rely on the information contained in this website. Rather, investors should use the information contained in this website as a starting point for doing additional independent research on the featured companies. Smallcaps Daily has not been compensated for this article. The advertisements in this website are believed to be reliable, however, Smallcaps Daily and its owners, affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, representatives and agents disclaim any liability as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained in any advertisement and for any omissions of materials facts from such advertisement. Smallcaps Daily is not responsible for any claims made by the companies advertised herein, nor is Smallcaps Daily responsible for any other promotional firm, its program or its structure. Smallcaps Daily is not affiliated with any exchange, electronic quotation system, the Securities Exchange Commission or FINRA.
Show More

Related Articles

Trending Tickers

WISH
$9.18
27.72%
WISH
$9.18
27.72%
WISH
$9.18
27.72%
Back to top button