Low-cap biotech companies are a high-risk but high-reward investment choice. If their clinical trials are successful, that can often mean an explosion in value as investors anticipate a buyout.
However, if they fail, that may mean the end of the road for these companies. Here is a list of promising biotechs priced under $10 that could offer a huge return on investment in the coming months.
Actinium Pharmaceuticals (ATNM)
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Actinium Pharmaceuticals (NYSEMKT:ATNM) is a biotech working on target radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients who failed existing treatments.
Its current product pipeline is for products that are in Phase 3 clinical trials. These are targeted at the elderly with active relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia.
Wall Street analysts are quite optimistic about this clinical-stage biotech. They give it an average price target of $25.60, implying 267.82% upside based on the most recent price of around $7 per share. The most optimistic analysts forecast a price of $50, or 618.39% upside potential.
For fiscal 2024, the analysts forecast a loss per share of $1.73. That is a major improvement from last year’s $1.83 loss per share. While Actinium is not expected to generate meaningful sales in 2024, analysts forecast huge sales in 2025 if its clinical stage trial succeeds. That makes it amongst the biotech industry’s most lucrative under $10 stocks.
Iovance Biotherapeutics (IOVA)
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Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:IOVA) is working on innovative cancer treatments that entail the development of tumor-infiltrating white blood cells. These cells kill faulty cells in the body. However, they sometimes need help figuring out how to perform their duties correctly.
It has one approved therapy called Amtagvi, which received FDA approval in February. It is currently only approved for a subset of melanoma patients. However, Iovance has five other clinical trials for use with this treatment. It has a long list of treatments in various phases of study.
In early 2023, the company acquired rights to Proleukin, an interleukin-2 product that has received FDA approval. Besides helping promote revenue growth, the newly acquired drug promotes a better response when combined with Amtagvi.
In its first quarter fiscal 2024 results, Iovance Biotherapeutics reported over 100 patients were enrolled into a treatment regime using Amtagvi. The company also expects to receive approval for the use of the drug in the EU, U.K., and Canada.
With two drugs already on the market and more clinical trials in the pipeline, IOVA shares could see an explosion in value in the coming months. Analysts are optimistic about its future. They forecast an average price target of $25.58 per share, a 230.92% upside based on the most recent price of $7.28. On the upper end of the forecast, the most optimistic analysts expect $34 per share, which is a 339.84% upside.
Geron (GERN)
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Geron (NASDAQ:GERN) is a clinical biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing blood cancer treatments. Its primary product, which is in Phase 3 clinical trials, is a telomerase inhibitor. It inhibits the progression of cancer cells in the blood.
In June, Geron announced the approval of Rytelo (Imetelstat) for use in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who have transfusion-dependent anemia.
According to its fiscal first quarter results, the company has $465 million in liquidity, giving it plenty of space to maneuver and support existing trials. It also grew revenue significantly to $304,000 compared to $21,000 in the first quarter of 2023.
The company also forecasts that it still has enough resources to support operations until the second quarter of 2026. Following the approval of Imetelstat for use in the U.S., it is likely the company will improve its revenue outlook in Q2.
Imetelstat is a direct competitor to Merck (NYSE:MRK) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) products. That makes Geron a prime candidate for a buyout. Given that oncology merger and acquisition activity is quite popular in the healthcare space, GERN investors could see a huge boost in share price in case of a buyout. Analysts are quite optimistic about GERN. They give the stock an average price target of $6.81, a 63.31% upside based on the most recent price of $4.53 per share. At the high end of the forecast, analysts forecast $10, a 139.81% upside.
On the date of publication, Joel Lim did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
On the date of publication, the responsible editor did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.
Joel Lim is a contributor at InvestorPlace.com and a finance content contractor who creates content for several companies like LTSE and Realtor, along with financial publications, including Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Mises Institution and Foundation for Economic Education.
