Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: Could I have your sage advice on the Aequus Pharmaceuticals? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: Aequus Pharmaceuticals Inc., $0.45, symbol AQS on the TSX Venture Exchange (Shares outstanding: 44.9 million; Market cap: $20.2 million, www.aequuspharma.ca), is a Vancouver-based specialty pharmaceutical company. The company’s business model is to acquire or license what it sees as commercial or near-commercial products from drugmakers outside of Canada and then sell them in this country. For example, it hopes to sell Vistitan (bimatoprost 0.03%, ophthalmic solution) in the Canadian market. This product is used to treat some forms of glaucoma and other related eye diseases. Aequus and its partner plan to split the Canadian revenues. The company also aims to develop its own drugs. All of those medications are transdermal versions of existing medications. Transdermal applications of a drug are absorbed slowly through the skin, typically by using an adhesive patch. Aequus’ lead product in development is AQS-1301, a once-weekly transdermal formulation of Aripiprazole (an antipsychotic drug sold under the brand name Abilify). The company believes that this product will…