An Investment That’s Easy to Swallow

By John Vandermosten, CFA

NASDAQ:LEXX

READ THE FULL LEXX RESEARCH REPORT

We’re initiating protection of Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ:LEXX) with a valuation of $15.00 per share. This current worth is predicated on money flows associated to chance adjusted estimates associated to the completion of the hypertension, nicotine and antiviral applications, partnership with client, medical and pharmaceutical firms, approval by regulatory authorities and commercialization of authorized merchandise. Lexaria is advancing a variety of applications utilizing its proprietary DehydraTECH (DHT) drug supply expertise, primarily in cannabidiol (CBD) for hypertension (HTN), nicotine for oral pouches and nicotine alternative remedy (NRT), antivirals and associated compounds for COVID and different viral ailments. The corporate additionally has relationships with a number of client merchandise firms which give rising revenues to the corporate within the CBD and nutraceuticals areas.

Lexaria’s DHT takes benefit of the digestive and circulatory system’s quick monitor pathway for lengthy chain fatty acids (LCFAs) to ship a wide range of drug compounds to the blood plasma. LCFAs are in a position to bypass absorption into the blood by way of the capillary system and as an alternative type into triglycerides that are transported into lymph vessels as chylomicrons by way of the lymphatic lacteals. This route permits for extra speedy supply to the circulatory system and bypasses the liver, enhancing bioavailability.

DHT employs a comparatively easy construction that mixes an API with an LCFA. LCFAs will be any variety of edible oils which are combined with the API then mixed along with a service compound by means of a dehydration synthesis response in industrial dryers. Lexaria has virtually completely used excessive oleic acid sunflower oil because the LCFA supply for its formulations, though its patents cowl many different fatty acid supply compounds. Service compound excipients are added which can enhance passage by means of the digestive system and permit the combined product to be rendered as a powder for later use in a capsule or emulsification.

Story continues

DHT is amenable to lipophilic APIs and has been investigated in a variety of compounds together with cannabinoids, nicotine, antivirals, PED5 inhibitors, human hormones, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (NSAIDs) and nutritional vitamins amongst others. Many of those medicine have low bioavailability or take a very long time to enter the bloodstream. Along with quickly and effectively shuttling desired compounds into the bloodstream, DHT additionally supplies different advantages together with style masking, improved supply throughout the blood mind barrier (BBB), diminished ranges of drug required for efficacy and diminished threat of unintended effects.

Lexaria is conducting a number of preclinical and medical research to advance DHT with CBD for hypertension. Two animal research have generated profitable outcomes and three human research have been accomplished or considerably accomplished and have offered proof of security and efficacy. Two different human research are being ready to start this autumn that are anticipated to supply knowledge over the subsequent 12 months. 4 preclinical research have been efficiently accomplished within the antiviral program which have examined compounds reminiscent of remdesivir and colchicine in cell-based and animal research. The corporate’s longest standing relationship is within the nicotine house. Lately, with growing restrictions on smoking, nicotine supply in oral pouch (snus) avoids dangers of lung most cancers and supplies an alternate when smoking will not be allowed. New options for NRT are in demand as current choices undergo from gradual onset and low bioavailability.

Lexaria gives a portfolio of indications that reap the benefits of DHT’s easy however elegant method to drug supply. DHT considerably improves the rapidity and amount of API transport to the blood plasma and mind utilizing the physique’s pure course of for distributing fatty acids by way of the oral route. Merchandise from Cannadips, Impact Naturals and Amari Botanicals amongst different client items firms that use Lexaria’s expertise are being offered on-line and at retailers together with Albertson’s, Safeway and Hudson Information shops. Curiosity in utilizing DHT extends throughout many classes past the first pharmaceutical focus of the corporate from meals to magnificence merchandise and nutraceuticals, and throughout a variety of codecs from oral ingestible to oral buccal/sublingual to topical merchandise.

Goal markets for APIs that may profit from DHT are immense. Hypertension impacts about 150 million individuals in North America and over a billion across the globe. Many of those people are untreated or don’t profit from current drugs. DHT with CBD gives a pure different to hypertension management for a lot of who’re unresponsive to current medicines or may benefit from the product together with at the moment prescribed therapies. Viruses are omnipresent in our every day lives and their influence extends past the over 200 million instances and 4.3 million deaths from COVID across the globe. Yearly from 10 to 50 million Individuals catch the flu and round 1 billion world instances happen with hospitalization charges of 1 – 2%.¹ There are additionally many different viruses that trigger extreme signs, hospitalization and loss of life. The necessity for orally administered anti-viral drugs is vital to maintaining hospital beds open and treating these in areas with much less developed well being care infrastructure. There are roughly one billion people who smoke around the globe and round 40 million in the US. There’s vital demand for nicotine alternative merchandise, substitutes for nicotine when smoking is prohibited and fewer dangerous options to smoking. This want opens the door for DHT expertise which may handle lots of the shortcomings associated to nicotine dependancy together with speedy binding to receptors within the mind and inconspicuous consumption.

On Might 31, 2021, Lexaria held $8.5 million in money on its stability sheet after elevating gross proceeds of $11 million in January 2021. The funds have enabled Lexaria to proceed a number of preclinical and medical research clearing a path for partnership and additional improvement. The corporate holds no debt and has a market capitalization of simply over $35 million. We anticipate the corporate to eat from $3.5 to $4 million in money yearly, offering a multi-year runway with current money reserves. The corporate additionally disclosed that it had acquired a further ~$4 million in funds from warrant workouts through the fourth quarter.

We anticipate that partnerships and pivotal knowledge will emerge over the subsequent a number of years with registrational submissions by 2023 and commercialization in 2024 for DHT CBD in hypertension doubtlessly utilizing the 505(b)(2) pathway. Different improvement merchandise in nicotine and antivirals are anticipated to return to market in subsequent years. Current revenues from companions within the client items house present present revenues and are forecast to develop at a modest charge offsetting money burn and offering assist for the expertise.

Key causes to personal Lexaria shares:

➢ Patent portfolio supporting DehydraTECH in a number of compositions

➢ DehydraTECH supplies marked enhancements over different strategies of API supply

◦ Improved bioavailability

▪ Fewer unintended effects

▪ Decrease drug price

◦ Extra speedy supply to blood plasma

◦ In a position to cross the blood mind barrier

◦ Taste masking permits to be used of fewer excipients

◦ Permits choose infused or injected medicine to be administered orally

◦ Approaching infusion ranges of drug bioavailability

▪ Can generate substantial financial savings changing infused medicines to oral

➢ DehydraTECH can increase efficiency of quite a few APIs

◦ Cannabidiol (CBD)

◦ Nicotine

◦ Anti-virals

◦ PDE5 inhibitors

◦ NSAIDS

◦ Hormones

◦ Vitamin D3

➢ Current license and product revenues present supportive money movement

◦ Relationships with a number of client packaged items (CPG) producers

◦ Double digit income development

➢ Low price expertise that may produce as much as 400,000 CPG items per day at current facility

➢ Collaborations with Fortune 100 firms Altria and British American Tobacco

In our initiation report we overview the assorted APIs being pursued by Lexaria and the research carried out on its behalf. A overview of the lead indication in hypertension is offered together with dialogue of the illness’s prevalence, therapy and threat components. We report on related preclinical and medical knowledge, trial design and improvement historical past for DehydraTECH in hypertension and supply a abstract of different potential combos with the expertise. Following an in-depth dialogue of our mannequin assumptions, we offer an appraisal of Lexaria’s valuation producing a goal worth of $15.00.

SUBSCRIBE TO ZACKS SMALL CAP RESEARCH to obtain our articles and reviews emailed on to you every morning. Please go to our website for added info on Zacks SCR. 

DISCLOSURE: Zacks SCR has acquired compensation from the issuer instantly, from an funding supervisor, or from an investor relations consulting agency, engaged by the issuer, for offering analysis protection for a interval of at least one 12 months. Analysis articles, as seen right here, are a part of the service Zacks supplies and Zacks receives quarterly funds totaling a most charge of $40,000 yearly for these companies. Full Disclaimer HERE.

________________________

1. Based mostly on CDC Figures