Topic: How To Invest

Good afternoon, Pat: I am just wondering what your opinion is on ESSA Pharma. Keep up the excellent work. Thanks for your input.

Article Excerpt

ESSA Pharma Inc., $10.30, symbol EPI on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 18.2 million; Market cap: $187.5 million; www.essapharma.com), is a developer of cancer drugs, with a focus on advanced prostate cancer. The company first sold shares to the public and began trading on January 27, 2015. ESSA’s drugs aim to stop prostate-cancer cells from absorbing hormones, such as testosterone, that fuel their growth. It’s particularly focused on its EPI-506 compound, which has shown promise in slowing prostate tumour growth in cell cultures and mice in preclinical trials. ESSA now plans to undertake Phase I trials. In Phase I trials, 20 to 80 healthy volunteers are selected to assess the new drug’s safety, tolerability and possible side effects. Phase II trials involve groups of 20 to 300 people; these tests examine how well the drug works and continue Phase I safety assessments. When a new drug fails, it usually occurs during Phase II. Phase III studies are the strictest scientific trials; they’re conducted by two…