Category Archives: Biotechnology

A rating of 99 puts Aravive Inc (ARAV) near the top of the Biotechnology industry according to InvestorsObserver. Aravive Inc's score of 99 means it scores higher than 99% of stocks in the industry. Aravive Inc also received an overall rating of 88, putting it above 88% of all stocks. Biotechnology is ranked 10 out of the 148 industries.

Searching for the best stocks to invest in can be difficult. There are thousands of options and it can be confusing on what actually constitutes a great value. Investors Observer allows you to choose from eight unique metrics to view the top industries and the best performing stocks in that industry. A score of 88 would rank higher than 88 percent of all stocks.

Our proprietary scoring system captures technical factors, fundamental analysis and the opinions of analysts on Wall Street. This makes InvestorsObservers overall rating a great way to get started, regardless of your investing style. Percentile-ranked scores are also easy to understand. A score of 100 is the top and a 0 is the bottom. Theres no need to try to remember what is good for a bunch of complicated ratios, just pay attention to which numbers are the highest.

Aravive Inc (ARAV) stock is trading at $13.92 as of 10:58 AM on Monday, Apr 27, an increase of $0.22, or 1.61% from the previous closing price of $13.70. The stock has traded between $13.35 and $14.24 so far today. Volume today is below average. So far 102,204 shares have traded compared to average volume of 204,303 shares.

To see InvestorsObserver's Sentiment Score for Aravive Inc click here.

See more here:
Is Aravive Inc (ARAV) a Winner or a Loser in the Biotechnology Industry? - InvestorsObserver

Vir Biotechnology Inc. [NASDAQ: VIR] stock went down by -8.01% or -2.62 points down from its previous closing price of 32.72. The stock reached $30.10 during the last trading session. During the course of the last 5 trading session in the week, VIR share price went up during 2 out of 5 days, that way gaining 0.07% in the period of the last 7 days.

VIR had two major price movements with the latest trading session as the price jumped to a high of $33.45, at one point touching $30.04. The latest high is set lower that the high price recorded in the period of the last 52 weeks, set at -59.87%. The 52-week high currently stands at 75.00 distance from the present share price, after the recent low of 11.65.

Stock market traders frequently keep their eyes on what Wall Street experts as it relates to a potential investment. For Vir Biotechnology Inc. [VIR], the most recent analyst consensus recommendation available since its latest financial results for the quarter ending in 12/30/2019. On average, stock market experts give VIR an Hold rating. The average 12-month price forecast for this stock is $30.10, with the high estimate being $42.00, the low estimate being $20.00 and the median estimate amounting to $33.00. This is compared to its latest closing price of $32.72.

Wall Street analysts provide their ratings on a scale of 1 to 5, and the current average score for Vir Biotechnology Inc. [VIR] is sitting at 3.00. This is compared to 1 month ago, when its average rating was 3.00.

Keep your eyes peeled for the soon-to-be-published financial results of this company, which are expected to be made public on 06/03/2020.

This companys Return on Total Capital is -61.54, and its Return on Invested Capital has reached -62.97.

Turning to investigate this organizations capital structure, Vir Biotechnology Inc. [VIR] has generated a Total Debt to Total Equity ratio of 0.27. Similarly, its Total Debt to Total Capital is 0.27, while its Total Debt to Total Assets stands at 0.22. Looking toward the future, this publicly-traded companys Long-Term Debt to Equity is 0.21, and its Long-Term Debt to Total Capital is 0.21.

What about valuation? This companys Enterprise Value to EBITDA is -18.23. The Enterprise Value to Sales for this firm is now 374.73, and its Total Debt to Enterprise Value stands at 0.00. Vir Biotechnology Inc. [VIR] has a Price to Book Ratio of 3.19.

Vir Biotechnology Inc. [VIR] has 106.03M shares outstanding, amounting to a total market cap of 3.19B. Its stock price has been found in the range of 11.65 to 75.00. At its current price, it has moved down by -59.87% from its 52-week high, and it has moved up 158.36% from its 52-week low.

This stocks Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 43.52. This RSI score is good, suggesting this stock is neither overbought or oversold.

Shares of Vir Biotechnology Inc. [VIR], on the whole, present investors with both positive and negative signals. Wall Street analysts have mixed reviews when it comes to the 12-month price outlook, and this companys financials show a combination of strengths and weaknesses. Based on the price performance, this investment is somewhat risky while presenting reasonable potential for ROI.

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Vir Biotechnology Inc. [VIR] The Fundamentals are a good enough reason to be bullish on VIR - The Dwinnex

EMERYVILLE, Calif., May 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gritstone Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: GRTS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapies to fight multiple cancer types, today announced the appointment of Elaine V. Jones, Ph.D., as chair of the board of directors.

Elaine has been a very strong addition to our board, as reflected in the unanimous vote to appoint her to the position of board chair, said Andrew Allen, M.D., Ph.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Gritstone Oncology. She has made significant contributions towards advancing our current programs, including our existing cancer neoantigen-based immunotherapies and bispecific antibodies, as well as in our evaluation of additional portfolio expansion opportunities. Her scientific and business acumen, as well as her extensive experience in shaping innovative biotechs, will be invaluable to Gritstone as we pioneer entirely novel classes of products based on our deep understanding of T cells and T cell targets.

Dr. Jones was most recently vice president, worldwide business development and senior partner at Pfizer Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Pfizer Inc. During her tenure from 2008 to 2019, Dr. Jones was responsible for managing biotechnology and healthcare investments for Pfizer, as well as serving on the board of directors for several biotechnology companies. Prior to this, Dr. Jones held the position of general partner at EuclidSR Partners, a venture firm specializing in private investment in both private and public equity within the health sciences, healthcare, biopharmaceutical sectors. Dr. Jones began her investing career in 1999 at S.R. One, the corporate investment fund of GlaxoSmithKline. During her venture career, she served on the boards of more than 20 early to mid-stage biotechnology, therapeutic and pharmaceutical companies. Previously, Dr. Jones was the director of scientific licensing at SmithKline Beecham and a research scientist in the research and development division of SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals. She received a B.S. in biology from Juniata College and a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Jones added, It has been a pleasure to serve on the board of directors for Gritstone, a company that had the vision to become a leader in neoantigen and tumor antigen discovery and is now administering pioneering immunotherapies utilizing these T cell targets in cancer patients. I am honored to be appointed as chair and look forward to working closely with the board and Gritstones leadership team to continue the companys positive momentum in our pursuit of bringing novel cancer treatments to patients.

About Gritstone OncologyGritstone Oncology (Nasdaq: GRTS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company, is developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapies to fight multiple cancer types. Gritstone develops its products by leveraging two key pillarsfirst, a proprietary machine learning-based platform, Gritstone EDGETM, which is designed to predict, from a routine tumor biopsy, the tumor-specific neoantigens (TSNA) that are presented on a patients tumor cells; and second, the ability to develop and manufacture potent immunotherapies utilizing patients TSNA to potentially drive the patients immune system to specifically attack and destroy tumors. The companys off the shelf shared neoantigen-based immunotherapy, SLATE, and its individualized neoantigen-based immunotherapy, GRANITE, are being evaluated in Phase 1 clinical studies. Novel tumor-specific antigens can also provide targets for bispecific antibody (BiSAb) therapeutics for solid tumors, and Gritstones BiSAb program is currently in lead optimization. For more information, please visit gritstoneoncology.com.

Gritstone Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements related to the potential of Gritstones therapeutic programs. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause Gritstones research and clinical development programs, future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties inherent in the drug development process, including Gritstones programs early stage of development, the process of designing and conducting preclinical and clinical trials, the regulatory approval processes, the timing of regulatory filings, the challenges associated with manufacturing drug products, Gritstones ability to successfully establish, protect and defend its intellectual property and other matters that could affect the sufficiency of existing cash to fund operations. Gritstone undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of the company in general, see Gritstones most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 11, 2020 and any current and periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

ContactsMedia:Dan Budwick1AB(973) 271-6085dan@1abmedia.com

Investors:Alexandra SantosWheelhouse Life Science Advisors(510) 871-6161asantos@wheelhouselsa.com

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Gritstone Oncology Announces the Appointment of Dr. Elaine V. Jones as Chair of the Board of Directors - GlobeNewswire

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Global Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Market Segmentation

This market was divided into types, applications and regions. The growth of each segment provides an accurate calculation and forecast of sales by type and application in terms of volume and value for the period between 2020 and 2026. This analysis can help you develop your business by targeting niche markets. Market share data are available at global and regional levels. The regions covered by the report are North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, and Africa and Latin America. Research analysts understand the competitive forces and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately.

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Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Market Region Coverage (Regional Production, Demand & Forecast by Countries etc.):

North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)

Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Russia, Spain etc.)

Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Southeast Asia etc.)

South America (Brazil, Argentina etc.)

Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, South Africa etc.)

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Table of Contents:

Study Coverage: It includes study objectives, years considered for the research study, growth rate and Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals market size of type and application segments, key manufacturers covered, product scope, and highlights of segmental analysis.

Executive Summary: In this section, the report focuses on analysis of macroscopic indicators, market issues, drivers, and trends, competitive landscape, CAGR of the global Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals market, and global production. Under the global production chapter, the authors of the report have included market pricing and trends, global capacity, global production, and global revenue forecasts.

Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Market Size by Manufacturer: Here, the report concentrates on revenue and production shares of manufacturers for all the years of the forecast period. It also focuses on price by manufacturer and expansion plans and mergers and acquisitions of companies.

Production by Region: It shows how the revenue and production in the global market are distributed among different regions. Each regional market is extensively studied here on the basis of import and export, key players, revenue, and production.

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Tags: Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Market Size, Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Market Trends, Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Market Growth, Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Market Forecast, Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Market Analysis

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Nanoparticles in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Market Segmentation, Application, Technology, Analysis Research Report and Forecast to 2026 - Cole...

The politically overhyped use of old malaria drugs in combination with COVID-19-specific candidates has been demonstrated to be dangerous, reports Nature Medicine.

In the prestigous paper Nature Medicine, cardiologists under Lior Jankelson report that patients with COVID-19 who were on a regimen of Novartis AGs generic malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin experienced electrocardiogram abnormalities. Previous reports demonstrated that the same is true for chloroquine phosphate, an old malaria drug originally developed at Bayer AG. The authorsassessed 84 patients with COVID-19 treated at a centre in New York, USA.

Azithromycin in combination with antimalarial hydroxychloroquine has been touted by President Donald Trump as a possible "game changer" in COVID-19. Former BARDA head Rick Bright was fired because he resisted political interventions to push the use of chloroquine derivatives to treat COVID-19 despite scientific evidence of efficacy and safety according to current authorisation standards. Biocentury reported previously that Trumps preference for the cheap but antiquated malaria treatments looked more like political science than actually based on scientific evidence. Several clinical programmes coordinated by the WHO , the European Union, and the UK promote clinical testing of combinations with either chloroquine phosphate or hydroxychloroquine and may cause thousands of deaths unless they were not updated to include new findings.

Several reports demonstrated that both medications increase the risk of various types of cardiac rhythm abnormalities, such as QTc-interval prolongation and drug-inducedtorsades de pointes, and sudden cardiac death. The QTc interval is measured by an electrocardiogram and represents the time it takes for a heart to recharge between beats. A prolonged QTc interval puts a patient at risk for arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.

Now, Jankelson and colleagues reviewed the charts and followed the QTc interval of 84 patients with COVID-19 on a 5-day oral regiment of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. The patients were, on average, 63 years of age and74% were male. After the patients were administered the drugs, the authors followed up with an electrocardiogram. They observed a prolonged QTc in most patients. The QTc was severely prolonged in 11% of the patients, which put them at high risk of arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Four patients in the cohort died from multiple organ failure a characteristic of septic shock without evidence of arrhythmia and without severe QTc prolongation.

Jankelson and colleagues found that most patients with COVID-19 who were treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin experienced QTc prolongation. This may have been exacerbated by other pre-existing conditions and the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The authors conclude that the QTc in patients with COVID-19 who are treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin should be monitored constantly, especially for patients with additional illnesses and those who are being treated with other QT-prolonging medications.

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Bayer, Novartis, and Trump convicted by Nature - European Biotechnology

Arch Oncology, Inc., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focused on the discovery and development of best-in-class anti-CD47 antibody therapies, today announced the appointment of Julie Hambleton, M.D. to the Companys Board of Directors.

"Julie is an accomplished biotechnology executive who brings extensive oncology clinical drug development expertise to our Board of Directors," said Julie M. Cherrington, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Arch Oncology. "As we continue to advance AO-176 in clinical development for select solid tumors and plan for additional indications in hematologic malignancies including multiple myeloma, I am thrilled to have Julie join the Board of Directors. We share a deep commitment to developing novel therapies for patients with cancer and I look forward to working with her."

Julie Hambleton, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at IDEAYA Biosciences and Director for Arch Oncology, added, "I am very encouraged by the growing body of preclinical data, the clinical progress, and future clinical potential of AO-176. This novel anti-CD47 antibody has a best-in-class profile and I look forward to sharing my insights gained over 20 years in drug development to guide ongoing and future potential opportunities for AO-176 in across various oncology indications."

Julie Hambleton, M.D. is a senior biotechnology executive with over 20 years of experience in clinical drug development from pre-clinical through Phase 4 and post-marketing studies. She has extensive experience working with regulatory agencies, including the U.S. FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and in filings of Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs), Biologics License Applications (BLAs), and Special Protocol Assessments (SPAs). Dr. Hambleton serves as Chief Medical Officer of IDEAYA Biosciences. Previously, she was Vice President, Head of U.S. Medical at Bristol-Myers Squibb, overseeing Medical & Health Economic and Outcomes Research activities in support of the Oncology, Immuno-Oncology, Specialty and Cardiovascular marketed portfolios. Previously, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Five Prime Therapeutics and Vice President, Clinical Development, at Clovis Oncology. Dr. Hambleton began her industry career at Genentech, most recently as Group Medical Director,Global Clinical Development, leading a cross-functional group conducting Phase 2 and 3 trials of Avastin.

Dr. Hambleton completed her medical and hematology-oncology training at the University California, San Francisco, where she then served on faculty from 1993 to 2003. She received a B.S. from Duke University, and M.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and was Board-certified in Hematology and Internal Medicine.

In addition, Dr. Hambleton serves as a Director on IGM Biosciences Board of Directors.

About Arch Oncology

Arch Oncology, Inc. is a privately-held, clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focused on the discovery and development of best-in-class antibody therapies for the treatment of patients with select solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma. The Companys next-generation anti-CD47 antibodies are highly differentiated, with the potential to improve upon the safety and efficacy profile relative to other agents in this class. Arch Oncologys lead product candidate AO-176 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of patients with select solid tumors. In addition, the Company is advancing a number of antibody pipeline programs for the treatment cancer. For more information please visit http://www.archoncology.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200421005212/en/

Contacts

Amy Figueroa, CFAFor Arch Oncologyafigueroa@archoncology.com 650-823-2704

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Arch Oncology Appoints Biotechnology Industry Veteran Julie Hambleton, M.D. to Board of Directors - Yahoo Finance

A rating of 18 puts SAGE Therapeutics Inc (SAGE) near the bottom of the Biotechnology industry according to InvestorsObserver. SAGE Therapeutics Inc's score of 18 means it scores higher than 18% of stocks in the industry. SAGE Therapeutics Inc also received an overall rating of 35, putting it above 35% of all stocks. Biotechnology is ranked 10 out of the 148 industries.

Trying to find the best stocks can be a daunting task. There are a wide variety of ways to analyze stocks in order to determine which ones are performing the strongest. Investors Observer makes the entire process easier by using percentile rankings that allows you to easily find the stocks who have the strongest evaluations by analysts.

These rankings allows you to easily compare stocks and view what the strengths and weaknesses are of a given company. This lets you find the stocks with the best short and long term growth prospects in a matter of seconds. The combined score incorporates technical and fundamental analysis in order to give a comprehensive overview of a stocks performance. Investors who then want to focus on analysts rankings or valuations are able to see the separate scores for each section.

SAGE Therapeutics Inc (SAGE) stock is trading at $38.00 as of 1:22 PM on Friday, Apr 24, a rise of $1.76, or 4.86% from the previous closing price of $36.24. The stock has traded between $35.62 and $38.03 so far today. Volume today is light. So far 545,172 shares have traded compared to average volume of 1,562,765 shares.

To see InvestorsObserver's Sentiment Score for SAGE Therapeutics Inc click here.

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Is SAGE Therapeutics Inc (SAGE) Stock Near the Top of the Biotechnology Industry? - InvestorsObserver

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Looking for a safe harbor during the Covid-19 pandemic? The biotech and pharmaceutical industries deserve a close look, according to SVB Leerink analyst Geoffrey Porges.

The indexes that track the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors outperformed the market in the 2001, 2008-09, and current recessions, he wrote in a Friday morning note.

On average, the biotechnology Indexes declined -1% during the three economic downturns, compared with the pharmaceutical indexs -10% and the S&P 500 indexs -20%. On a relative basis, biotech and pharmaceutical Indices outperformed the S&P 500 by 18% and 10%, respectively, Porges noted.

One likely explanation: People need their medicine, even in a recession. Porges cited published papers showing that pharmaceutical sales volume stayed steady in the U.S. during the 2008-09 recession.

So far this year, biotech indexes and exchange-traded funds have vastly outperformed the market. While the S&P 500 is down 13.4% since the start of the year, the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (ticker: IBB) is up 2.2%. The SPDR S&P Biotechnology ETF (XBI) is down 1.4%, while the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (NBI) is up 2.3%.

Pharmaceutical indexes have also performed well. The NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical index is down 1.1%, while the S&P 500 Pharmaceuticals index is down 0.5%.

Those performances have been boosted by strong showings from large-cap biotech companies like Gilead Sciences (GILD), which is up 19.7% so far this year on excitement over its experimental Covid-19 therapy remdesivir, and Moderna (MRNA), which is up a startling 142.5% so far this year over its Covid-19 vaccine, which is in clinical trials.

Major pharmaceutical companies have also outperformed. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is up 6.6%, while Eli Lilly (LLY) is up 21.7%. The company clocked a new 52-week high on Friday morning.

Porges note suggests that all this tracks with the recent history of recessions.

Our analysis of historical recessions suggested that the biotech and pharma indices (and stocks) significantly outperformed the broad market (S&P 500), despite the greater P/E multiple compressions in the healthcare indices, he wrote.

The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF was up 0.6% in recent trading, while the S&P 500 was up 0.4%.

Write to Josh Nathan-Kazis at josh.nathan-kazis@barrons.com

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Biotech and Pharmaceutical Stocks Beat the Market in Recessions - Barron's

Its a great moment for big food, big ag, and industry to do a self reflection and analysis of, how did we arrive here? How did we arrive to a world where the folks that picked the produce out of the field dont have access and or make enough to buy the very produce that theyre picking? Rolando Perez, graduate student and volunteer at Xinampa

Biotechnology is on the precipice of changing our world forever. Using solutions always there in biology and optimizing them with technology, biotech promises to solve global issues such as carbon emissions, plastic and chemical pollution, and, of course, feeding a booming population. But to really solve the issue of food, the industry needs to revolutionize more than just biology or technology. It needs to revolutionize the way it engages local cultures and economies. It will not be an easy task, a straightforward task, or a quick task. But it can be done and the people of the world depend on it being done right.

Climate change and population growth have led to predictions that the global population will reach nearly 10 billion people by 2050. Current food production processes cant keep pace with that growth. Fearing an existential crisis, several companies have adopted a tag line that goes something like this: we will feed the world through innovative biotechnologies that are more sustainable and make healthy food more accessible. And theyve got the sustainability beat down: from leveraging microbes to feed plants and reduce toxic nitrogen run-off to improved aquaculture techniques to genetic engineering foods to be more nutritious, the possibilities for producing ever more nutritious food while using less of the Earths precious resources are boundless and already in motion.

But what, exactly, does it mean for food to be accessible in todays world?

Food desert a term used to describe areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food is the label by which weve come to describe food accessibility today. But the term is a bit of a misnomer, says Garrett Broad, author of More Than Just Food.

It suggests theres nothing there and if food deserts are the problem, the solution sounds pretty simple: just bring [stuff] to the desert.

But is there really nothing there? According to a recent New York Times exposition on the obesity epidemic in Brazil (and in big industrys role in that), there are now more obese people in the world than underweight people. Its as if the pendulum has swung the other direction where hunger was once a very real problem as a result of access to food, period, now obesity, diabetes, and heart disease prevail as a result of access to high calorie, nutrient-poor foods. This has created a new type of malnutrition, write Andrew Jacobs and Matt Richtel, one in which a growing number of people are both overweight and undernourished.

So, continues Broad, the problem isnt food deserts [per se], the problem is really a legacy and generational disinvestment in and direct discrimination in not just food but in a variety of other arenas. [This] calls for a broader set of solutions.

Said another way, the issue of food accessibility is multi-faceted and therefore cannot be solved solely through biotechnology we must come to terms with that fact at the get go. That isnt to say biotechnology cant make the food production system as a whole better. With advances in gene editing and other technologies, we can use technology to improve the nutritional profile of food (tackling malnutrition), to enable seasonable crops to be available all year round (increasing accessibility in one sense), to remove undesired characteristics such as cherry pits (increasing accessibility in another sense), and to make food more resistant to drought, one of the biggest factors influencing a significant proportion of the world populations access to food. But none of this matters if we keep operating under our current system, which, according to Broad, bottom-lines on profit margins, not on feeding people healthily and sustainably.

The biotechnological revolution can give the food industry and low-income disadvantaged communities a chance to hit the reset button to learn from the current state of affairs and prevent the inevitable shortfall of the big promises being made by biotechnology today if we dont change the societal, political, and economic backbone of the way food is made and distributed. And according to Ana Ibarra and Rolando Perez, volunteers at Salinas Valley-based Xinampa (a bio-hub aiming to support equitable economic development, workforce development, small business incubation, and scientific literacy and education), such sea change will come from getting people from all walks of life to sit down together and talk.

From left: Steven Rhyans, Anna Ibarra-Castro, Leo Tejeda, Omar Perez, Matias Kaplan, Rolando Perez. Photo credit: Steven Rhyans

Many of the communities most affected by food inequality are disadvantaged, underrepresented cultural and ethic groups, such as the Hispanic/Latinx and indigenous populations served by Xinampa. Salinas, California, where Xinampa is based, is over 75% Hispanic or Latinx and it is this population that is the life blood of one of the richest agricultural areas in the world. Xinampa is especially passionate about teaching young people high school and college students how they can use biotechnology in their future careers and to bolster their local communities. Ibarra says that young people will be critical for speeding up the development of technologies, a crucial goal given the issues we have at a global scale to sustain human life in light of climate change, decreasing arable land. The younger generations have the ability and talent to carry this forward, she says, and I believe its crucial to start engagement at a young age.

But, Perez is careful to point out, it isnt just about reaching the young.

The work here is intergenerational, and thats really important. There has to be engagement across the whole intergenerational spectrum the bio belt could be about finding opportunities for retirees to do things in the community plant gardens that produce nutritious produce for the community, for example. The next generation is like the seventh generation. You can say seven generations in the future, seven generations in the past, or you can strategically place yourself in the middle of those seven generations; something I learned from a close friend and that has helped me understand my role as a community member and citizen of our planet.

Emphasizing culture and recognizing that the community as a whole, and in particular indigenous communities, has deep-seeded, critical knowledge about agriculture is a core value of Xinampa. Instead of feeding people the all-too-often heard script of you guys just dont know anything, youre eating unhealthy, and were here to change you, they recognize and encourage the generations of knowledge and cultural richness that will be critical for effectively governing and incorporating biotechnology into our future food systems.

What the most successful groups that work around food at the grassroots level do is they push past those scripts, and they open up some storytelling about peoples cultural histories through food, says Broad, and that allows folks to claim knowledge about food and cooking and agriculture, which makes them much more likely to have ownership in this whole conversation.

And the whole conversation must also engage policy makers, those involved in the public health care system, industry leaders essentially anyone that could be affected by biotechnology.

One of the solutions that we could employ to address these inequities is to look to the expertise of individuals in public health, policy, social welfare, or other disciplines that are exposed to issues through a different lens and can provide a different point of view, says Ibarra, adding that its important to foster interdisciplinary conversation early on. We dont want to miss something. We dont want to invest in a solution that may not be the most effective simply because you forgot to include someone in the conversation. Early engagement is how these nutritious and novel foods will be cultivated from the ground up for the benefit of everyone in society.

One of the reasons early involvement in conversation will enable effective distribution of food to everyone is rooted in money. According to Broad, one of the biggest reasons why mistrust in GMOs and how GMO foods could solve some big problems isnt because companies havent been transparent. Its because people look at the big players, the companies in charge, and see companies that havent made their lives substantively better. People recognize that priorities within the biotech industry have not necessarily always been first and foremost about feeding the world equitably and sustainably but instead about who profits from certain biotechnological developments, says Broad. This erodes trust rather than building it.

A great way to build long standing trust is to have equitable distribution of the material wealth that gets created from these innovations. Essentially, how do we think about the development of these tools in an equitable and inclusive way in terms of economic development and economic opportunity? The best way to do this is to get people involved from early on and give them an economic stake so you develop companies that people are engaged in and involved in. That would be something for entrepreneurs and communities like [SynBioBeta] to be thinking about from an early stage, as opposed to thinking about it as kind of a PR approach that comes at the very end.

Its the economy stupid, he continues. Its that classic line if people can see that their economic and social life is going to benefit from these new innovations, then theyre much more likely to be interested in supporting them and have less fear, he says.

Ibarra agrees.

There is a lot of fear around automation and AI, including in communities like ours where the fear is robots are going to come in and pick produce and there will be less jobs for our laborers, she says. But I think the opportunities deriving from biotechnology have an even greater potential. In Monterey County we have a very robust economy resulting from direct and indirect agricultural jobs, but also a significant multiplier effect. If we couple new agricultural technologies, such as automation and AI, with biotechnology in parallel, you can see this allowing communities especially rural ones to be more resilient. Its a real opportunity.

This is critical for communities like Salinas Valley, where homelessness rates in elementary schools can be as high as 50 percent. According to Ibarra, agricultural communities like Salinas are the perfect place to cultivate regenerative biotechnologies that enrich our food systems and advance public health. She and Perez imagine a future for Salinas Valley completely transformed by biotechnology rooted in racial and class equity and justice. For example, Central Coast residents could create public interest biotechnologies that emphasize community control and governance, with investment in people, infrastructure, automation, and supply-chains that extend into the community and that connect to the Valleys world-class global supply-chains. Biotechnology can also be leveraged to produce nutritious crop varieties that adapt plant morphology to make harvesting by hand easier or gene drives to combat invasive pests such as the Asian Citrus Psyllid. Animal agriculture could benefit as well, with new veterinary biotechnological tools to better care for livestock and protect them from disease. Water systems could benefit as well, from cleaning the Salinas River through mycoremediation to employing biosensors to monitor city water for pollution, pesticides, and other chemicals.

In December 2019, Golden Rice was approved for direct use in the Philippines the first Asian country to grant the controversial food approval. Some expect that the added Vitamin A present in the rice will reduce by up to 50% vitamin A deficiency, the leading cause of child mortality in the country. But, others are skeptical that the rice will be the simple solution Filipinos have been waiting for, pointing out that vitamin A deficiency is a complex problem partially rooted in culture, political economics, education, and access. In essence, Golden Rice is the perfect example of both the promise of biotechnology in agriculture and its shortcomings if we dont think critically about all sides of the issue. With up and coming companies like Pairwise Plants and others using biotechnology to produce food that is more nutritious and can be available year-round, it is critical that we heed voices like Broad, Ibarra, and Perez so that technologies that can really make a difference in how we feed the world dont meet the same fate as Golden Rice.

It is possible to feed the world with biotechnology. But its only possible if our goal isnt to feed the world, but to engage local communities, support early, equitable, and inclusive communication, and to ensure that food equity doesnt just mean that everyone can afford to buy healthy food, but that the communities producing that food have equitable economic stake. Move over, big ag its time to take biotechnology from farm to table.

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Why biotech's goal should not be to feed the world - SynBioBeta

The recent performance of Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) stock in the market spoke loud and clear to investors as VIR saw more than 1.13M shares in trading volumes in the last trading session, way higher than the average trading volume of 1.13M shares by far recorded in the movement of Vir Biotechnology (VIR). At the time the stock opened at the value of $29.55, making it a high for the given period, the value of the stock jumped by 3.56%. After the increase, VIR touched a low price of $29.55, calling it a day with a closing price of $30.08, which means that the price of VIR went 1.6 below the opening price on the mentioned day.

Given the most recent momentum in the market in the price movement of VIR stock, some strong opinions on the matter of investing in the companys stock started to take shape, which is how analysts are predicting an estimated price of $34.33 for VIR within consensus. The estimated price would demand a set of gains in total of -37.91%, which goes higher than the most recent closing price, indicating that the stock is in for bullish trends. Other indicators are hinting that the stock could reach an outstanding figure in the market share, which is currently set at 100.45M in the public float and 3.41B US dollars in market capitalization.

When it comes to the technical analysis of VIR stock, there are more than several important indicators on the companys success in the market, one of those being the Relative Strength Indicator (RSI), which can show, just as Stochastic measures, what is going on with the value of the stock beneath the data. This value may also indicate that the stock will go sideways rather than up or down, also indicating that the price could stay where it is for quite some time. When it comes to Stochastic reading, VIR stock are showing 26.08% in results, indicating that the stock is neither overbought or oversold at the moment, providing it with a neutral within Stochastic reading as well. Additionally, VIR with the present state of 200 MA appear to be indicating bullish trends within the movement of the stock in the market. While other metrics within the technical analysis are due to provide an outline into the value of VIR, the general sentiment in the market is inclined toward positive trends.

With the previous 100-day trading volume average of 543315 shares, Pinnacle Financial Partners (PNFP) recorded a trading volume of 717220 shares, as the stock started the trading session at the value of $34.35, in the end touching the price of $34.88 after jumping by 1.54%.

PNFP stock seem to be going ahead the lowest price in the last 52 weeks with the latest change of 25.47%.Then price of PNFP also went backward in oppose to its average movements recorded in the previous 20 days. The price volatility of PNFP stock during the period of the last months recorded 6.96%, whilst it changed for the week, now showing 5.92% of volatility in the last seven days. The trading distance for this period is set at -7.95% and is presently away from its moving average by -22.96% in the last 50 days. During the period of the last 5 days, PNFP stock lost around -2.84% of its value, now recording a dip by -37.07% reaching an average $55.32 in the period of the last 200 days.During the period of the last 12 months, Pinnacle Financial Partners (PNFP) dropped by -45.50%.

According to the Barcharts scale, the companys consensus rating was unchanged to 4.00 from 4.00, showing an overall improvement during the course of a single month. Based on the latest results, analysts are suggesting that the target price for PNFP stock should be $34.88 per share in the course of the next 12 months. To achieve the target price as suggested by analysts, PNFP should have a spike by 0% in oppose to its present value in the market. Additionally, the current price showcases a discount of 34.19% when compared to the high consensus price target predicted by analysts.

PNFP shares recorded a trading volume of 588569 shares, compared to the volume of 638.57K shares before the last close, presented as its trading average. With the approaching 5.92% during the last seven days, the volatility of PNFP stock remained at 6.96%. During the last trading session, the lost value that PNFP stock recorded was set at the price of $34.88, while the lowest value in the last 52 weeks was set at $27.80. The recovery of the stock in the market has notably added 25.47% of gains since its low value, also recording -0.11% in the period of the last 1 month.

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Will These Thrive Or Dive ? Vir Biotechnology (VIR), Pinnacle Financial Partners (PNFP) - US Post News