Topic: How To Invest

Q: Pat: I have been following Aurinia Pharmaceutical from the sidelines throughout 2017. I would value your opinion. Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, $6.37, symbol AUP on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 78.5 million; Market cap: $540.0 million; www.auriniapharma.com), was formed from the 2013 merger of Isotechnika Pharma and Aurinia Pharmaceuticals. The company is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies to treat patient populations suffering from serious diseases but with a need for more medical therapies and interventions. The company’s primary focus right now is on the development of voclosporin, a drug for the treatment of lupus nephritis. Lupus nephritis is inflammation of the kidney caused by systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). Also called lupus, SLE is an autoimmune disease. With lupus, the body’s immune system targets its own body tissues. Lupus nephritis happens when lupus involves the kidneys. In October 2017, Aurinia announced plans to investigate the effectiveness of voclosporin in treating two related kidney diseases: focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease (MCD). FSGS is a rare disease that attacks the kidney’s filtering units (glomeruli), causing serious scarring that can…