Topic: How To Invest

Hello Pat: Can you provide some insight into Neovasc? Is it worth speculating in? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: Neovasc Inc., $1.15, symbol NVCN on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 78.7 million; Market cap: $84.5 million; www.neovasc.com), develops and markets specialty cardiovascular products. Neovasc’s products in development include the Tiara, a transcatheter system that is used to implant a replacement mitral valve in a patient’s heart. Located between the left atrium and the left ventricle, the mitral valve lets blood pass from one chamber to the other, but it prevents blood from flowing backward. The Neovasc Reducer is another of the company’s products. The device is used to treat refractory angina—a cardiac disease causing pain that’s often resistant to standard treatments. The Reducer aims to replace those traditional treatments, including nitrates, calcium-channel and β-adrenoceptor blockers. Neovasc is now focused on completing the development and commercialization of both the Reducer and the Tiara. While European authorities have already approved the Reducer for sale, the Tiara is still in early-stage clinical studies. Neovasc has been encouraged by the results, specifically their technical success and positive…