Boston, MA 01/28/2014 (wallstreetpr) – Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARIA) has been facing some very uncertain times since news that its prime drug candidate induces severe adverse reactions. It was briefly withdrawn from the markets and the company now does not have a single product either on the shelves or under development.
The Story So Far:
Biopharmaceutical stocks either soar very high on some good news or fall in the dumps even on whispers of some bad tidings. Even Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARIA) suffers from this malaise. Everything was going according to the plan, the product had been given approval by the FDA for sales in the U.S. It was already approved for sales in Europe. Though the cancer it was supposed to treat affected a very small amount of people, it still managed to get good publicity. It became the darling of the stock market and its stock soared. Bad news spreads quicker than good news. Reports emerged that usage of the drug was giving adverse reactions like clot formation and adverse heart conditions. These were thought to be so serious that FDA had to ask the company to stop sales immediately. The company has vowed to conduct further trials and modify dosages accordingly.
The damage has already been done. The good news is that Europe has not yet withdrawn the approval and the drug can be sold in Europe. The company is also trying to get approval for restricting its use to terminal or last stage patients. The management, in a recent medical conference, was unable to present a clear picture about the future.
Can it Be Taken Over?
Reports have started making rounds that some pharmaceutical majors are interested in taking over the company. Many big pharmaceutical companies are facing rapid patent expirations. The commonly called ‘patent cliff’ has affected their revenues and profit margins. Such companies are on the look out of acquisitions for inorganic growth. This is mainly because their own research and development activities have not provided them with sufficient number of drugs to shore up their bottom and top lines. They would ideally look at a candidate with a strong pipeline.
Does Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ARIA) fit into this category?
