04/01/2008
The MCO Daily - Before the Bell for Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
The Micro Cap Opportunity 'Daily'
‘Before the Bell’ for Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
On the Radar: BDGR, BDRR, PUDC, ADVR, CCUR, MGRM
This morning's top Micro Cap trading ideas include Black Dragon Resource Companies, Inc. (OTCPK: BDGR), Bederra Corp. (OTCPK: BDRR), Puda Coal, Inc. (OTCBB: PUDC), Advanced Viral Research Corp. (OTCBB: ADVR), Concurrent Computer Corp. (NASD: CCUR), Monogram Biosciences, Inc. (NASD: MGRM).
BLACK DRAGON RESOURCE COMPANIES, INC. (OTCPK: BDGR)
Up 19.05% Yesterday
Detailed Quote: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=BDGR.PK
Black Dragon specializes in increasing the production of crude oil and natural gas from wells whose production amounts to 15 barrels of crude oil or less per day. The reduced production of these wells, a result of abandonment or plugging because of dropping prices of crude oil through the 1980s, represents a significant opportunity to capitalize on local resources, while lessening domestic dependence on foreign oil. Black Dragon continues to acquire wells in the oil-rich regions of Louisiana and Eastern Texas, augmenting its portfolio to over 400 operating oil wells.
Recent BDGR News:
April 1st, 2008 - Black Dragon Will Gross Over $1,000,000 for the First Quarter of 2008 Mr. Joseph Lanza, President of Black Dragon Resource Companies, Inc. (BDGR: PinkSheets), stated that for the first quarter of 2008, Black Dragon will gross over $1 million in revenues, compared to last year's first quarter total of $675,120. This result was achieved despite the heavy rainfall at the end of each of the months of February and March, which significantly hampered the efforts of the Company's purchasers to collect oil. Mr. Lanza added that while gross numbers are almost always higher than the net amounts, he believes that the shareholders are best served by releasing gross figures as well. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT DESPITE THE RAIN, BLACK DRAGON HAS FINALLY GROSSED OVER $1 MILLION IN A QUARTER.
Mr. Lanza also stated, "this could be one of my last press releases as President of the Company, as I hope to be able to step down as President of Black Dragon very soon and permit the Summit Group to take over control of Black Dragon's operations." Mr. Lanza concluded by noting that there will soon be a significant amount of upcoming news regarding Black Dragon, but that Mr. Johnson and the Summit Group should be the ones to keep the shareholders current with information in the near future, including the progress of the Company's financing opportunities.
BEDERRA CORP. (OTCPK: BDRR)
Up 25.00% Yesterday
Detailed Quote: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=BDRR.PK
Bederra Corporation, which wholly owns Diagnos, Inc. and Lumar Imaging, Inc., provides multiple modality diagnostic medical imaging services to the greater Houston area and world famous Texas medical center. The company's current strategy is to grow its current operations and seek out additional acquisitions that will complement its core operations.
Recent BDRR News:
April 1st, 2008 - Bederra Corporation Retains Numarket Solutions to Provide Investor & Public Relations Bederra Corporation (PINKSHEETS: BDRR), a medical imaging and diagnostic Company, is pleased to announce it has retained Numarket Solutions, Inc. to provide investor relations strategy support and corporate communication services.
Chad C. Sykes, Numarket Solutions CEO, stated, "After visiting one of Bederra Corporation's subsidiaries, Lumar Imaging located in Houston, I immediately saw a strong company with a lot of potential. The market has been very unkind in its valuation of the company. The imaging equipment on site alone was worth far more than the current market cap. Bederra is a great example of how good companies can go unnoticed. I will be working closely with management to formulate a program to increase investor awareness and help communicate more effectively with current shareholders and future investors."
The company would like to further announce it will begin to take proactive measures to combat any market collusion involving its common stock. The company is aware it has recently appeared on the Regulation SHO Threshold list for several consecutive days. The company has requested copies of DTC records and a NOBO list to determine any discrepancies.
Graham Williams, Bederra Corporation CEO, stated, "We are glad to have Numarket Solutions working with us to bring a new level of communication to shareholders about our business plan and ongoing operations. We will be making several exciting announcements as well as releasing our financials in the near future. We are also looking into the recent possible shorting of our common stock and will take the necessary steps to correct the problem."
PUDA COAL, INC. (OTCBB: PUDC)
Up 24.14% Yesterday
Detailed Quote: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=PUDC.OB
Puda Coal, through its subsidiaries, supplies premium grade coking coal to the steel making industry for use in making coke. The Company currently possesses 3.5 million metric tons of annual coking coal cleaning capacity. Shanxi Province provides 20 - 25% of China's coal output and supplies nearly 50% of China's coke.
Recent PUDC News:
April 1st, 2008 - Puda Coal Announces New Customer Contract Puda Coal, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PUDC) (''Puda Coal'' or the ''Company''), a supplier of China's high grade metallurgical coking coal used to make coke for the purposes of steel manufacturing, today announced it has entered into a new contract with Yanzhou Liming Coke and Coal Distribution Ltd. (''Liming'') to supply up to 120,000 metric tons (MT) of cleaned coking coal before the end of 2008, or approximately 12,000 MT per month for ten months.
Liming is a regional leading coke and coal distribution company located in Yanzhou city, Shandong Province. It mainly conducts coke and coal transactions with domestic and international coal users.
''We are delighted to add Liming to our client base. Our increased capacity and advanced mix coal washing technology make Puda Coal an attractive supplier to various coke and steel producers in China,'' said Zhao Ming, Puda Coal's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. ''Our cooperation with Liming marks our expansion into Shandong province. We plan to increase our penetration in Shandong province and other regional markets to take advantage of the strong demand for cleaned coking coal in China.''
ADVANCED VIRAL RESEARCH CORP. (OTCBB: ADVR)
Up 38.89% Yesterday
Detailed Quote: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ADVR.OB
Advanced Viral Research Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of small molecule anti-cancer drugs. Its initial compound, AVR118, represents a new class of cytoprotective agent that targets, among other things, some of the most problematic symptoms associated with clinical cachexia or the so called wasting syndrome. In addition, AVR118 has also been shown to possess topical wound healing properties in animal models. Various degenerative conditions associated with cachexia such as cancer, HIV-AIDS and chronic inflammation are potential disease targets for AVR118 therapy. For further information regarding Advanced Viral Research Corp., please visit the website at http://www.adviral.com.
Recent ADVR News:
April 1st, 2008 - Advanced Viral Research Shares Progress of AVR118 Phase II Cancer Cachexia Study at McGill University
Advanced Viral Research Corp. (OTCBB: ADVR) announced today that enrollment for its Phase II efficacy study for AVR118 in cancer cachexia is progressing in line with expectations.
The Phase II trial, initiated in October 2007, is being conducted at McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal, Quebec. Dr. Martin Chasen, medical oncologist, palliative care physician and Clinical Director of the McGill Cancer Nutrition and Rehabilitation Program at McGill University, is the Principal Investigator.
The open label study is examining the effects of a 4.0 ml subcutaneous dose of AVR118 on lean muscle mass, alertness, energy/mobility, mood and fatigue and other measures of quality of life in patients with recurrent or advanced malignancies. AVR118 is administered daily for a trial period of 28 days. Patients who appear to benefit from the trial period dosing will be eligible to continue on AVR118, generating longer term efficacy data.
Enrollment initially includes 14 patients between the ages of 18 and 85 who have recurrent or advanced malignancies and are suffering from symptoms of cachexia including muscle wasting, severe fatigue and loss of appetite. Pending review of preliminary data, there is a provision to increase enrollment to 30 patients.
To date, eight patients at the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital have been enrolled in this study. Two patients have completed the 28 day, phase 1, treatment regimen and at the discretion of the patients and doctors, chose to remain on treatment beyond the 28 day trial period.
Dr. Chasen commented, "We are encouraged by the fact that the first two patients elected to remain on treatment. Formal review of the objective response criteria will take place once 10 or more patients have completed the full 28 day course of therapy."
AVR118 represents a new class of cytoprotective agent that is being developed to treat clinical cachexia, a serious complication associated with diseases such as cancer and HIV-AIDS. It is a naturally sourced multi-component product that alleviates symptoms associated with clinical cachexia such as anorexia and weight loss.
Cachexia occurs in more than 80% of patients with advanced cancer. It is typically associated with a chronic wasting condition involving loss of both adipose tissue and lean body mass. Although a sudden drop in caloric intake alone can not account for the body-composition changes seen in cachexia, patients who experience anorexia are at particular risk, because lack of appetite leads to further weight loss, fatigue, and eventually a severe state of malnutrition. Across the full range of chronic illnesses and without exception, wasting is associated with poor prognosis and shorter life spans. In some cases, cancer patients may lose enough lean body mass for the weight loss to be lethal.
CONCURRENT COMPUTER CORP. (NASD: CCUR)
Up 14.45% Yesterday
Detailed Quote: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=CCUR
Concurrent (NASDAQ: CCUR) is a leading provider of high-performance, real-time Linux software and solutions for commercial and government markets. For over 40 years, Concurrent's best-of-breed products have enabled a range of time-critical solutions including: modeling and simulation, high speed data acquisition, visual imaging, low latency transaction processing and on-demand television. Concurrent's on-demand television applications are utilized by major service providers in the cable and IPTV industries to deliver video-on-demand (VOD). Concurrent's Everstream line of advanced reporting and monitoring tools measures the effectiveness of interactive television for over 25 million digital cable subscribers. Concurrent is a global company with regional offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and has products actively deployed in more than 26 countries. Concurrent's products and services are recognized for being uniquely flexible, comprehensive, robust and reliable. For more information, please visit www.ccur.com
Recent CCUR News:
April 1st, 2008 - Concurrent Announces Master Purchase Agreement with Cox Communications Concurrent (NASDAQ: CCUR), a worldwide leader of on-demand technology that is shaping the future of television, announced today that Cox Communications, the third largest MSO (multiple system operator) in the United States, has completed a Master Purchase Agreement to deploy MediaHawk 4500 VOD servers across Cox's entire VOD-enabled subscriber base.
"Cox Communications has been a strong partner with Concurrent," stated Gary Trimm, Concurrent's president and CEO. "Cox's acceptance of this Master Purchase Agreement is proof of their continuing support of and belief in our products, as well as a message to the industry of our continued technical leadership in VOD with our MediaHawk 4500."
James Kelso, Cox's vice president, video engineering, echoed the sentiments. "Based on our tests and on our experience deploying the product in Arizona, we believe the MediaHawk 4500 to be a superior on-demand server. We've been equally pleased with Concurrent's service. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Concurrent as we aggressively expand and integrate the roles of on-demand and advertising across our markets."
The multi-year agreement will enable Cox to standardize on the Concurrent MediaHawk Content Delivery System across all Cox markets, with Concurrent's MediaHawk 4500 replacing other server brands and integrating with SeaChange's AXIOM back office. Every Cox system will upgrade during this time, adding additional streams and increased content storage. Additionally, as part of the agreement, Cox has been granted a license to Concurrent's targeted advertising patent portfolio.
As an integral component of the MediaHawk Content Delivery System, Concurrent's MediaHawk 4500 is a standards-based, highly-available video server capable of supporting 2,300 simultaneous on-demand streams (SD content at 3.75 Mbps) over a wide array of transport networks. This high-density server requires only a 2RU enclosure, enabling on-demand complexes scaled to hundreds of thousands of streams with minimized footprint and power consumption. The multi-level memory cache approach and economical commercial hardware design allow service providers to employ scalable, pay-as-you-grow deployment models. Reliability is greatly enhanced with Concurrent's Gatling Resilient Streaming Technology(TM), which automatically detects failures and instantly routes stream demands to alternate resources in order to prevent any loss of VOD sessions. When combined with the MediaCache(TM) 1000, Concurrent's flash SSD (solid state drives) storage product, the MediaHawk 4500 provides an additional level of reliability while lowering maintenance costs.
MONOGRAM BIOSCIENCES, INC. (NASD:MGRM)
Up 8.49% Yesterday
Detailed Quote: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=MGRM
Monogram is a biotechnology company advancing individualized medicine by discovering, developing and marketing innovative products to guide and improve treatment of serious infectious diseases and cancer. The Company's products are designed to help doctors optimize treatment regimens for their patients that lead to better outcomes and reduced costs. The Company's technology is also being used by numerous biopharmaceutical companies to develop new and improved antiviral therapeutics and vaccines as well as targeted cancer therapeutics. More information about the Company and its technology can be found on its web site at http://www.monogrambio.com.
Recent MGRM News:
April 1st, 2008 - Monogram Biosciences Provides Progenics Pharmaceuticals with HIV Assays for Use in Clinical Trials Monogram Biosciences, Inc., (Nasdaq: MGRM) announced today that it had entered into an agreement with Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PGNX) to provide resistance and tropism testing for Progenics' clinical development program of PRO 140, an investigational CCR5 monoclonal antibody being studied for the treatment of HIV. In its ongoing phase 2 studies, Progenics is using Monogram's Trofile(TM) tropism test to screen and monitor HIV infected individuals whose virus uses the CCR5 receptor as a portal of entry to healthy cells. Progenics is also using Monogram's PhenoSense GT(TM) assay to measure viral resistance to drugs from other HIV-1 treatment classes.
"We are pleased to play such an important role in the development of this promising new HIV therapy," said Chris Petropoulos, Monogram's Chief Scientific Officer. "Monogram continues to help pave the path for many of the most highly anticipated new HIV drugs in development."
Trofile is a patient selection co-receptor tropism assay that determines whether a patient is infected with a strain of HIV that uses the CCR5 co- receptor, the CXCR4 co-receptor, or a combination of CCR5 and CXCR4 to enter cells. Trofile is the only clinically validated tropism assay and has been used to select patients in all phase 2 and phase 3 studies of CCR5 antagonists to date.
About PRO 140
Progenics announced the start of the phase 2 program for PRO 140 in January 2008. PRO 140 is a novel monoclonal antibody that binds CCR5 and is designed to prevent HIV from entering immune system cells and thereby prevent viral replication, which occurs within the cells. CCR5 is also a receptor for chemokines, members of a family of protein molecules that are secreted by cells as part of the body's natural inflammatory response. Unlike small- molecule CCR5 antagonists, PRO 140 inhibits HIV entry at concentrations that in vitro do not appear to block CCR5's natural function, which includes, in part, directing the migration of immune cells towards sites of inflammation in the body.
About Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc., of Tarrytown, NY, is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development and commercialization of innovative therapeutic products to treat the unmet medical needs of patients with debilitating conditions and life-threatening diseases. Principal programs are directed toward gastroenterology as well as the treatment of HIV infection and cancer. The Company, in collaboration with Wyeth, is developing methylnaltrexone for the treatment of opioid-induced side effects, including constipation (oral and subcutaneous formulations) and post-operative ileus (intravenous formulation). In March 2007, the Company submitted a New Drug Application to the United States Food and Drug Administration for the subcutaneous formulation of methylnaltrexone for patients suffering from opioid-induced constipation while receiving palliative care, followed in May 2007 by Wyeth's submission of a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) in Europe to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). In the area of HIV infection, the Company is developing the viral-entry inhibitor PRO 140, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the HIV entry co-receptor CCR5, which has completed phase 1b clinical studies with positive results. In the area of prostate cancer, the Company is developing a human monoclonal antibody drug conjugate -- a selectively targeted cytotoxic antibody directed against prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a protein found on the surface of prostate cancer cells. Progenics is also developing vaccines designed to stimulate an immune response to PSMA.
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