Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTX)

beaten down - strong hep C product on the merket - promising pipeline (cystic fibrosis drug)...

VRTX wins FDA approval again..

Promising Pipeline

Seems too beaten down at these prices. See this article I wrote:
7 Black Friday Biotech Bargains
http://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2011/11/25/7-black-friday-biotech-bargains.aspx

There are more than 4 drugs in the pipeline consisting of: VX-222 - Phase 2 Complete - Hepatitis C (Little Competition) - Positive FDA feedback, VX-770 - Phase 3 Complete - Cystic Fibrosis CFTR (No Competition) - Positive FDA feedback, VX-809 - Phase 2 Complete - Cystic Fibrosis CFTR Corrector - Positive FDA Feedback, VX-509 - Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Disease - Phase 2 Complete, VX-765 - Epilepsy.

Biotechs with a hot product are hard to find. Biotechs with a P/E of 10 harder still.

Unduly crushed by market and very bad news from DNDN, but totally diff story than DNDN, not reliant on Medicare and 70% effective at curing the HEP-C disease. Possible take over and it got a head start on Merck even though Merck was approve slight before (and is less effective)

earnings positive in 2012 with a blockbuster drug funding the pipeline http://www.vrtx.com/current-projects/drug-candidates/pipeline.html and excess cash . I own it.

Vertex's blockbuster drug Telaprevir, which is used for the treatment of Hepatitis C has a 1 in 3 chance of causing a scarring rash that is so bad that treatment must be stopped. Another drug that has a similar mechanism of action that has just been released, Boceprevir, is also used for the treatment of Hepatitis C is also effective without the scarring rash. Physicians will chose Boceprevir as they do not want the additional burden of grading patients scars as well as the high likelihood of stopping treatment.

blockbuster drug

Vertex (VRTX) shares have been halted as an FDA advisory panel will review its telaprevir NDA today
7:05 am ET 04/28/2011-

Sounds like GOOD NEWS!

Hopefully, the FDA will approve their Hep C drug.

Vetrex is developing an oral therapy (VX-770) that increases the function of the defective protein that causes cystic fibrosis (CF), a life threatening disease for children. . People that develop CF have mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) that diminish lung function.

The primary endpoint, improved lung function, was met in the phase 3 study of VX-770 in the study population of children (ages 6 to 11 years) with the identified G551D mutation in the CFTR gene. Vertex is expected to file in the US and Europe for marketing approval in late 2011.

Additionally, phase 2 clinical trials are ongoing evaluating the combination of VX770 with a second drug in development (VX-809) that targets the F508del mutation and promotes CFTR proteins reaching the cell surface in normal amounts.

The availability of a therapy that improve lung function by normalizing CFTR function and expression will benefit the roughly 100,000 people worldwide currently affected with CF.

Recently had a positive trial on a cystic fibrosis drug candidate which is why their stock is so high right now, but this comes only a few months before the scheduled date for the FDA decision on their Hepatitis C drug, Telaprevir. Which has a 75% cure rate with no real restrictions and very little competition (and what competition there is doesn't have such a large cure rate). It's a buy for sure, but there will be a dip because there always is in biotech after a success.

New patent should increase revenue

Merc cleared the path for talap...good results on CF....tough burn rate, but when talap hits market look for a decent jump.

Life changing research

If their drugs in development work, this will be like Viagra was to Pfizer

This one has been frustrating to be long. That being said, I believe they will have a very successful launch next year. If projections for sales are in the ballpark, then VRTX stands to earn over $6/share in 2013. VX 770 may be the wild card that adds $5 to the shares on positive data.