Sangamo Therapeutics

I got interested in Sangamo Therapeutics primarily because of its stock chart. This company has been in an uptrend since the beginning of the year and in May it got supercharged. Since then its continued higher and today is in a confirmed uptrend. Today sales have been more than doubling as earnings have been increasing at a rate greater than 50%. Those are some giant numbers and I expect this to continue as the science of genome editing and gene therapy advances. 

​Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on translating ground-breaking science into genomic therapies that transform patients' lives using platform technologies in genome editing, gene therapy, gene regulation, and cell therapy. The company's proprietary zinc finger DNA-binding protein (ZFP) technology enables specific genome editing and gene regulation. The ZFPs could be engineered to make ZFP nucleases (ZFNs), proteins that could be used to specifically modify DNA sequences by adding or knocking out specific genes; and ZFP transcription factors (ZFP TFs), proteins that can be used to turn genes on or off. Its therapeutic products include SB-728-T, a ZFN-mediated autologous T-cell product for human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), which is in Phase II and Phase I clinical trials; and SB-728-HSPC that is in Phase I/II clinical trials for HIV/AIDS. The company also engages in Phase I/II studies of in vivo genome editing applications of ZFP Therapeutics for hemophilia B, Hemophilia A, and Mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS) and MPS II, which are lysosomal storage disorder (LSD); proprietary preclinical programs in other LSDs; and research stage programs in certain central nervous system disorders and cancer immunotherapies. It has collaborative partnerships with Biogen Inc. to develop therapeutic genome editing products in hemoglobinopathies; and with Shire International GmbH to develop the preclinical development program in Huntington's disease, as well as license agreement with Sigma-Aldrich Corporation to develop ZFP-based laboratory research reagents and Dow AgroSciences, LLC to modify the genomes or alter protein expression of plant cells, plants, or plant cell cultures. The company was formerly known as Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. and changed its name to Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. in January 2017. Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Richmond, California.
(Summary) (Company) (Chart)

27 August 2017
Price $10.70
1yr Target $12.60
Analysts 5
Dividend $0.00
Payout Ratio 0.00%

1yr Cap Gain 17.75%
Yield 0.00%
1yr Tot Return 17.75%

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Beta 3.12

EPS (ttm) $-0.80
EPS next yr $-0.81
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Market Cap $926.30 Mil
Revenues $23.40 Mil
Earnings $-57.70 Mil
Profit Margin ---

Quick Ratio 6.10
Current Ratio 6.10
Debt/Equity 0.02

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ROA -30.70%
ROE -38.50%

Company Operations

Sangamo Therapeutics is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on translating ground-breaking science into genomic therapies that transform patients’ lives using their industry-leading platform technologies in genome editing, gene therapy, gene regulation and cell therapy. The Company's proprietary zinc finger DNA-binding proteins (ZFP) technology enables efficient and highly specific genome editing and gene regulation, and they are developing genome editing and gene therapies for the treatment of genetically tractable diseases.

​Sangamo has several proprietary clinical and preclinical programs in development and has strategically partnered certain programs with biopharmaceutical companies to obtain funding for programs and to expedite clinical and commercial development. The Company's long-term goal is to forward integrate into manufacturing, development and commercial operations to more fully capture the value of their proprietary genome editing and gene therapy products.

Sangamo and their licensed partners are leaders in the research, development and commercialization of ZFP, a naturally occurring class of proteins found in humans. They have used their knowledge and expertise to develop a proprietary technology platform in both genome editing and gene regulation. ZFPs can be engineered to make ZFP nucleases (ZFNs), proteins that can be used to specifically modify DNA sequences by adding or knocking out specific genes (genome editing) and ZFP transcription factors (ZFP TFs), proteins that can be used to turn genes on or off (gene regulation).

Although they are focused on the development of human therapeutic applications, ZFPs act at the DNA level and potentially have broad and fundamental applications in several other areas, such as plant agriculture and research reagents, including the production of transgenic animals and cell-line engineering. In the process of developing this platform Sangamo has accrued significant scientific, manufacturing and regulatory capabilities and know-how that is generally applicable in the broader field of gene therapy.

The main focus for the company is the development of novel human therapeutics. The Company has initiated a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating our proprietary ZFN in vivo genome editing approach for the treatment of hemophilia B, a rare blood disorder. They are also planning to conduct Phase 1/2 clinical trials evaluating their ZFN in vivo genome editing approach for the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I) and Mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II), which are lysosomal storage disorders (LSD).

They also are planning to conduct a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating a gene therapy for the treatment of hemophilia A, a rare blood disorder. In addition, the Company has proprietary preclinical programs in other LSDs and research stage programs in other monogenic diseases, including certain central nervous system (CNS) disorders and cancer immunotherapy.

Sangamo has established a collaborative partnership with Bioverativ Inc., a spin-out company from Biogen, Inc., to research, develop and commercialize therapeutic genome editing products in hemoglobinopathies, including sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta-thalassemia. They also have a collaborative partnership with Shire International GmbH, formerly Shire AG (Shire), to research, develop and commercialize their preclinical development program in Huntington’s disease (HD).

They also have a legacy clinical development program evaluating SB-728-T, a ZFN-modified autologous T-cell product for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. They have determined that HIV/AIDS is not a primary strategic focus for Sangamo, and they intend to seek collaborative partnerships before investing further in the development of human therapeutics for these indications.

In fields outside human therapeutics, Sangamo has entered into strategic partnerships to facilitate the sale or licensing of their ZFP platform. They have a license agreement with Sigma-Aldrich Corporation under which Sigma has the exclusive rights to develop and market ZFP-based laboratory research reagents marketed under the trademark CompoZr as well as ZFP-modified cell lines for commercial production of protein pharmaceuticals and ZFP-engineered transgenic animals.

They also have a license agreement with Dow AgroSciences, LLC (DAS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical Corporation. Under this agreement, DAS has the exclusive rights to use the Company's ZFP technology to modify the genomes or alter protein expression of plant cells, plants, or plant cell cultures and markets their ZFN technology under the trademark EXZACTTM Precision Technology.

​Sangamo has a substantial intellectual property position in the genome editing field including the design, selection, composition and use of engineered ZFPs to support commercial activities. As of February 7, 2017, the Company either owned outright or had exclusively licensed the commercial rights to approximately 791 patents issued in the United States and foreign national jurisdictions, and had 650 patent applications owned and licensed pending worldwide.

The Company continues to license and file new patent applications that strengthen their core and accessory patent portfolio. Sangamo believes that their intellectual property position is a critical element in their ability to research, develop and commercialize products and services based on Gene Therapy, Genome Editing, Cell Therapy and Gene Regulation across our chosen applications. 

Sangamo's Therapeutic Pipeline

​My Perspective

Manipulating DNA is the future of medicine and gene therapy holds the potential to cure diseases that we can only dream about today. Sangamo uses a technique called ZFP which was perfected in the 1990s. In the last few years a newer technology has been developed known as CRISPR technology that may end up to be better than ZFP but so far Sangamo's technique has a 20 year head start on the technology. 

I intend to research companies using the CRISPR technique but today I'm investing in Sangamo and its technique. In fact I've already started a very small position and I intend to add to that position over the next few weeks and months. I did that based upon the strength of the upward trend. It's also has options available which provides additional opportunities for income and accumulation.