Investing in Lower Back Pain

Image by BruceBlaus sourced from Wikimedia Commons.

If you’ve ever woken up with a twinge in your back and wondered, “Where did that even come from?”, you’re not alone. Lower back pain is the leading cause of physical disability in people under 45, and the second most common cause of disability for those over 45. It’s also the second most common reason for doctor’s visits, and costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year in both treatment costs and lost productivity.
Some companies are working to find a solution to lower back pain using regenerative medicine, surgical procedures and other medical therapies. Companies that can successfully develop procedures and therapies to eliminate lower back pain may find a large market for their products. This short list of stocks contains companies that are pursuing a variety of strategies toward curing or alleviating lower back pain.
One type of potential solution for lower back pain is regenerative medicine, which regrows cells and even entire body parts using stem cells. One company that creates clinical grade storage for stem cells is Bothell, Washington-based BioLife Solutions, Inc * (OTCMKTS:BLFS). The company recently announced that privately-held Discgenics will be adopting BioLife’s CryoStore clinical grade cryptopreservation freeze media for its Injectable Discogenic Cell Therapy (IDCT) treatment.
Their IDCT treatment is a regenerative option for people suffering from lower back pain associated with degenerative disc disease and requires effective biopreservation. BioLife Solutions also recently applied to have its stock listed on the Nasdaq, which would help the company expand its visibility. BLFS closed January 10 at $0.60, unchanged, with a market cap of $42.25 million. Its 52-week trading range is $0.25 to $1.71.
Another method of treating lower back pain, specifically that from degenerative conditions of the spine, is surgery. Baxano Surgical Inc (NASDAQ:BAXS), based in Raleigh, North Carolina, creates surgical devices to allow spinal surgeons easier access to the spine when performing procedures designed to treat degenerative spinal conditions. The company recently announced results from two clinical studies involving its technologies. Both studies were published in the December edition of the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques. Earlier this year, the company announced expansion to both Mexico and Colombia following regulatory approval. BAXS closed January 10 at $1.30, up $0.18, with a market cap of $58.74 million. Its 52-week trading range is $0.92 to $2.67.
BioRestorative Therapies Inc (OTCBB:BRTX), based in Jupiter, Florida, creates spinal therapies using adult stem cells. Their brtxDISC program offers treatments for bulging and herniated discs through a non-surgical, minimally-invasive procedure that uses stem cells derived from the patient’s body. The company recently sponsored a study that uncovered brown fat stem cells in adults, which were previous unidentified. These brown adipose (fat)-derived stem cells (BADSCs) may be useful in treating metabolic diseases, such as diabetes. The company also recently gained approval for a retrospective safety study investigating their brtxDISC procedure to collect data from previously-treated patients. BRTX closed January 10 at $0.75, down $0.05, with a market cap of $13.73 million. Its 52-week trading range is $0.33 to $1.95.
Treating lower back pain, whether through degenerative diseases, hernias or other wear and tear could be a potentially lucrative area for small-cap life science companies and investors. Firms that can put new technology investments of time and money into alleviating or curing lower back pain may rapidly become stocks to watch.
* Denotes a client of Allen & Caron, publishers of this blog.