ASND: 3Q2023 Results 11/7/23 amc

You're right. I missed it. But I provided company commentary, and forecasts, for a reason. I don't need to point out that transparency helps. And of course the converse is also true: opacity is kryptonite for investors. While ASND stock price is still struggling YTD, the 52 week return vs that of OPK are starting to converge (-23% vs -16.5%, respectively). Even in this bad return year, ASND still has a $5.4 billion market cap, this for a company with ~$200mm (US) in annual projected revenue....from one product. ASND still has just under $500mm in cash, and just 57.6mm shares outstanding. So there's a LOT of EPS leverage, which partly explains the 27x revenue valuation. MS just maintained an equal weight rating on the stock (ho hum), while intrepidly raising the PT to $116 from $113. If reached, at that point the market cap would be $6.7 billion.

Ascends has a tough fight ahead for Skytrofa....at least we hope that they do now that Pfizer has entered the fray. But they have, I think, two other drugs in Phase 3, and a couple others in earlier stages. They've done what Opko has yet to do with CTP. Namely, apply a proprietary technology to several compounds.

getting back to Pfizer, yes we all assume they will emerge as the batting champion in weekly HGH, and perhaps quite soon. BUT......you can almost bank on some form of subterfugal shenanigans at 4400 Biscayne that will transform that excitement into the "BANG" flag that comes out of cartoon guns. If you think that the market doesn't yet know that Pfizer will be selling a lot of Ngenla, you're mistaken. Similarly, if you think the market doesn't know that Frost is, as we speak, ordering new parts for his patented "Phil's Cash Incinerator" so that he can be ready to immolate the manna from Pfizer heaven just as soon as it falls in the Opko desert.....well then, you're wrong about that too. Of course, part of that cornucopia of cash will be earmarked for executive compensation increases, recompense for jobs well done. But we sheep, we're also well done, to a crisp as they say.