By Jordo Bivona - May 30, 2012 | Tickers: ALTH, GSK, SPPI | 0 Comments

Jordo is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.

Would you buy a biopharmaceutical company that recentlyreported recordyearly sales, earnings and cash flow and yet sells at a relatively low price to earnings ratio (for a biotech company) of 12, and a price-to-sales ratio and price-to-book ratio of only about 3? Revenues of $193 million were up 160% from the previous year revenues of $74 million.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SPPI)describes itself "a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations." With a market cap of about $600 million, it is relatively small but is included in a number of stock market indices, among them the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, the Russell 3000, Russell 2000, Russell Global and most recently theS&P SmallCap 600.The company currently markets two oncology drugs, Zevalin and Fusilev, and for a small company, has an impressive pipeline of drug candidates in various stages of development. The company's latest potential blockbuster for bladder cancer, apaziquone,failedin late-stage trials. On a valuation basis, however, Zevalin and Fusilev are worth more than the current market price for shares.

Zevalin is a monoclonal antibody to B-cell antigen p20 fused to a radioactive element Yttrium-90. It is used treat low grade or follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Treatment regimens include two doses of another monoclonal antibody, rituximab, marketed byBiogen IDEC andRoche Holding, to reduce circulating B-cells, followed by one dose of Zevalin, which actively attacks the lymphoma. Because the antibody is radioactively labeled, it kills neighboring cells, most of which are also tumor cells, in addition to the cell to which the antibody binds.

The drug that competes most directly with Zevalin is Bexxar, a similar p20 monoclonal antibody that is complexed with radioactive Iodine-131. Bexxar is marketed by pharmaceutical giantGlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK). There is little to differentiate the two drugs, other than the choice of radioactive agent.

The company's other drug, Fusilev, is used to treat advanced metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with chemotherapy involving methotrexate or 5-fluoro-uracil. The active ingredient of Fusilev is l-leucuovorin (aka folinic acid), a folate analogue, which has been purified to remove the inactive d isomer of the racemic mixture, so that patients only need half the dose. While not pharmaceutically useful, the d isomer may cause side effects. Leucovorin is used to "rescue" bone marrow after methotrexate treatments, but enhances the activity of the chemotherapy agent 5-fluoro-uracil. The main competition to Fusilev is Wellcovorin, which contains the inactive d-isomer. Wellcovorin is also marketed by GlaxoSmithKline. Fusilev seems to have the edge: Spectrum has recentlyexpandedits capacity to manufacture the drug in response to increased demand.

Besides apaziquone, Spectrum has one other key drug in late stage development under the FDA's Special Protocol Assessment, belinostat.

First, Apaziquone was being investigated as anintravesicle instillationfor non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. This type of cancer is recurrent in 80% of patients after the tumor is surgically removed. "Intravesicle instillation" means that it is introduced directly into the bladder. It is really a pro-drug that is converted into an active cytotoxic alkylating drug by reductase enzymes expressed preferentially by tumor cells. The company has conducted two multi-center phase 3 trials of Apaziquone used after tumor resection, but the drugfailedto meet its primary endpoint of statistically significant reduced tumor recurrence at two years, analyzed individually. Trials with multiple instillations of the drug are likely to continue in some form.

Belinostat is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PCTL), non-small-cell lung cancer, and other solid tumors. Belinostat causes increased acetylation of Listor proteins, resulting in cell cycle arrest and cell death. Currently, Spectrum is testing Belinostat in a pivotal trial for PCTL. Currently, PCTL is commonly treated with anthracycline chemotherapy drugs, like daunomycin, marketed by as Cerubidine by Ben Venue Laboratories, a subsidiary of the German firm, Boehringer Ingelheim (not publicly traded).

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Citi a generous sponsor of the group lending program at Rise

TORONTO , May 30, 2012 /CNW/ - Starting a business can be challenging for any entrepreneur but for those with a history of mental health or addiction issues, the task can be even more daunting. But a program from Rise Asset Development, a financial initiative of UofT's Rotman School of Management and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), is providing microfinancing and mentorship to entrepreneurs facing these extra challenges.

The Toronto-based not-for-profit is piloting a group lending program with help from several community organizations and the Citi Foundation.

The pilot group lending program seeks to leverage the sense of community and support offered in a group setting. Rise will work with lending groups affiliated with organizations such as transitional homes and mental health organizations to support business growth. The program builds on the individual lending program by Rise Asset Development.

"Though we are still at the pilot stage, we anticipate demand for this unique approach to mirror that of our original individual program," says Narinder Dhami, Executive Director of Rise Asset Development. "We believe that the social support networks offered by community organizations will translate well into a successful microcredit experience forthe borrower."

In this program, Rise will work closely with both the community organization and the borrower, in providing business guidance and support, in addition to encouraging borrowers to motivate, support, and learn from each other.

"Around the world, Citi has been supporting Microfinance initiatives philanthropically for more than 30 years," said John Hastings , Chairman and CEO, Citibank Canada. "Through the Citi Foundation, we are pleased to be associated with such a worthwhile initiative."

Dhami expects the first group of loans to be administered by fall of 2012.

About Rise Asset Development Rise Asset Development works to empower business owners with access to financing and business support. The organization recognizes the interdependency of financial well-being to one's overall quality of life. Rise is committed to improving the lives of people who are unable to secure employment due to mental health or addictions challenges. Rise, with the support of the Rotman School of Management and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), provides microfinancing and mentorship to men and women living with mental illness and addictions who are interested in pursuing self-employment.

Rise offers business loans, leases and other investments, based on stage of development, needs and capacity, including business financing up to $25,000 throughout Ontario, with average initial financing from $3000 to $5,000 . Credit is currently at a 3.5% interest rate with all investments secured by the assets of the business (not personal assets).

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Rise Asset Development pilots group microfinance program for individuals with mental health, addiction challenges

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28-05-2012 18:24 The '#NikonInFocus' series is an online learning experience exclusively for My Nikon Life members giving you direct access to some of the world's leading professional photographers and film-makers. Personally ask them your questions about their career, photography and film-making tips, gear or life experiences. Find out more here:

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PROVIDENCE, R.I., May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Teaching isn't easy. With the many obstacles facing teachers today, they could use some support in the classroom and with school budgets as tight as they are, teachers could use some extra cash. Nutmeg Education hopes to give them both through its "Lesson Plan Submission Contest," which began on the day of Nutmeg Education's launch, May 21, and runs until June 18.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120530/CG15503)

The contest offers teachers up to $2,500 for themselves and their school just for submitting a lesson plan. It also gets them started using a free resource to discover new lesson plans and instructional ideas with its Lesson Plan Network. To sign up, visit NutmegEducation.com/contest.

There's three parts to the contest. The first is the "Teacher Challenge", which is a cash giveaway that guarantees $500 for any group of at least 8 teachers who sign up for the site and each upload at least one ELA or Math lesson plan (the deadline for the Teacher Challenge has been extended to June 18 to include as many teachers as possible). The "School Challenge" rewards the school with the most total lesson plans with $1,000, and the "Lesson Plan Contest" offers $1,000 to the teacher who uploads the most creative or innovative lesson as judged by our panel of teachers.

Teachers are encouraged to learn more about the contest, explore the website, and begin submitting their lesson plans to the Lesson Plan Network by visiting http://www.nutmegeducation.com. The site also allows teachers to administer short formative assessments and identify where students are struggling through the Collaborative Assessment Builder, and provide those students with the relevant remediation resources with the Remedial Education Center. Those two components will launch later this summer.

Please download the Nutmeg Education contest flyer and contest rules from http://nutmegeducation.com/contest/.

About Nutmeg Education:Nutmeg Education, LLC was founded in July, 2011 in Hobe Sound, Florida, by Jonathan Modica. During the first few months, Jon and the company's co-founder, Teddy Hills, engaged teachers around the country and quickly identified what they describe as a "mismatch" in how teachers were using the available K-12 resources. Many teachers were trying to inform their instruction from the results of assessments that were solely designed by test companies to measure standardized assessment performance. By doing this, teachers, schools, and districts were using test data to make inappropriate assumptions about student learning. Nutmeg soon evolved to tackle not just the assessment mismatch, but also the need for instructional resources and remediation. Nutmeg was created to help teachers through a free online platform, empowering them with the greatest resource that there is to offer the collective knowledge of the teaching community.

Until this past year, teachers' ability to share standards-aligned materials and resources has been prohibited by the vast differences among state curriculum standards. The Common Core State Standards, a set of education standards now adopted by 45 states, provide a baseline for sharing across the country. Therefore, the time is perfect for the Nutmeg Education Platform.

In November, Nutmeg contracted with New Philosophy, LLC, a digital agency in New York with the technical know-how and design prowess to make Nutmeg's vision a reality. From the start, Nutmeg worked closely with teachers to be sure they were building a platform that was aligned to teachers' daily classroom needs and easy enough for all teachers to use during their already packed. The twenty teachers who spent time and energy helping to design Nutmeg are Nutmeg's "Founding Teachers"; these Founding Teachers played a key role in helping create the platform.

For additional information about Nutmeg Education and the Lesson Plan Submission Contest please go to: http://nutmegeducation.com/media/.

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Nutmeg Education Engages Teachers with Lesson Plan Submission Contest

Unified Communications Solution Simplifies IT Management, Saves Money for Online and Offline Education

SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire - May 30, 2012) - Is higher education recession-proof? If the number of students currently enrolled in colleges and universities is a good indicator, then the answer is yes. In the United States today, more than 20 million students attend approximately 6,600 higher-education institutions [1]. The most recent available statistics from the National Center for Education [2] indicate a 73 percent increase in enrollment for post-secondary educational institutions between 1985-2009.

Online education has played a significant role in this increase in enrollments. More than one-quarter of all higher education students -- 6.1 million students -- now take at least one class online, a 2011 Babson online education survey [3] found. That number represents 560,000 more online enrollees than in 2009, and a 283 percent increase from 2002. A prime example of the scale at which online institutions operate, the University of Phoenix, the largest online university in the United States, has more than 370,000 students enrolled in degree programs [4].

As classroom dynamics adapt to the digital age, and as the number of students increases, so does the need for a communications system that can integrate a wide range of platforms and devices, from any location, connecting students, administration and faculty. Without a proactive integration strategy, important communication tools such as IM/chat, IP calling and audioconferencing are siloed by platform or device. Instead of working as a single team, staff, faculty and students must contest with an influx of communications from multiple sources, losing time and productivity in the process.

Having the right unified communications (UC) system can streamline many aspects of the education process -- from student enrollment to interdepartmental curriculum development -- by providing all necessary collaboration tools in one central interface. With students increasingly reliant on computing devices in the classroom and outside of it, educational institutions should take a page from what successful businesses have learned -- that having a strong unified communications solution is critical to a strong infrastructure and improves the end-user experience, in this case that of the matriculated student. Whether smartphone, tablet or desktop, PC or Mac, users can access the same reliable interface for essential communications functions. Zultys' comprehensive UC solution enables faster workflow and collaboration for any department in any location, in one easy-to-use system. A prime example of this, Ross Medical Education Center, an accredited allied health education provider with more than 20 locations in four states, relies on Zultys UC for its online admissions.

"Our admissions process used to be time-consuming," said Greg Brenner, Chief Information Officer of Ross Education, an allied health institution with more than 20 campuses in four states. "I wanted our admissions representatives to work in a single computer-screen window instead of wasting time navigating back and forth between different windows and programs. With the Zultys Salesforce.com Communicator for Enrollment Rx, we could streamline the process by dialing out and putting our notes in through a complete one-window touch interface, making the process significantly faster."

Zultys offers collaboration features such as Presence, audio- and videoconferencing, IP voice services, chat/IM, Salesforce and Outlook integration, and more. Available in one box, Zultys is easy to deploy and scale, simplifying IT management for even the fastest-growing organizations. With the Zultys solution, IT departments can improve productivity, simplify their infrastructure and reduce costs, setting the foundation for a cost-effective communications system that doesn't overextend the college budget.

"Higher education institutions need a complete UC solution that is simple to manage and can scale rapidly," said Steve Francis, chief sales and marketing officer at Zultys. "Educational institutions of all sizes can ensure a seamless workflow with Zultys, especially during busy times like the beginning and end of the school year. Zultys also comes in a single box, making it easy to deploy, maintain and scale. Learning institutions can simultaneously simplify and improve their IT systems."

To learn more about how Zultys streamlines communications for Ross Education, please visit the case study here: http://www.zultys.com/documents/Zultys_Ross_Education_Case_Study.pdf.

About Zultys Zultys is the global provider of a true all-in-one unified communications solution. Innovative, reliable and scalable, Zultys IP phone systems integrate voice, video, data and mobility -- in a single appliance -- to optimize collaboration for businesses of all sizes. Zultys delivers a powerful, feature-rich communications system that is easy-to-use, deploy and maintain. Zultys is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices around the world. To learn more, visit http://www.zultys.com.

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Zultys Streamlines Campus Communications for Colleges and Universities, On- and Off-Campus

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For students who age out of foster care, homelessness can be a legitimate worry.

A program at Piedmont Virginia Community College called Great Expectations helps lead them to a less-Dickensian life.

The program helps students ages 13 to 24.

Our program is really targeted to the students who have been in foster care or independent living, so when I work with them, I give them a lot of coaching, I give them a lot of advising, said Constance Cromartie, the programs director. Its pretty much a little more intense.

That help includes assistance registering for classes, organizing schedules and getting access to resources, including the schools learning center.

Maria Chapman, 19, went to high school in Louisa County and opted to attend PVCC rather than Norfolk State University.

She said she definitely considered the program when making her decision.

Youre faced with a lot of challenges really, really early, Chapman said.

Chapman plans to transfer to Virginia Commonwealth University to study social work.

She attributes much of her success to God and to her foster mother. Chapman said her definition of success has shifted as shes participated in the program. Shes now aiming for more than material fulfillment, she said.

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PVCC program helps former foster care students

After three state boys' basketball championships, a combined 16 conference titles and Eastern Regionals appearances and countless lives touched, Wells Gulledge has decided to move on.

The iconic Kinston High School coach, physical education instructor and athletic director announced Tuesday he will resign all posts, effective at the end of the school year, to venture into the non-education sector working for a software company based in Greenville.

The father of two and husband to Kinston High English teacher Dawnn Gulledge cited the desire to spend more time with his family for the sudden change in careers.

It was a long, drawn out process. Ive chosen to go into the corporate world, which will give me more flexibility and more time at home to where I will actually see my wife and kids, Gulledge said. Being a dad has become the most important component of my life. By making this change its going to allow me to do so.

I think the dinner table is a special place when youre raising a family.

The 39-year-old Rockingham native arrived in Kinston in 2001 following a three-year stint at Jacksonville High. During his time coaching the Vikings, Gulledge has become one of the pre-eminent high school basketball coaches in the state.

He won 274 games while losing just 55 in 11 seasons at Kinston, and has 320 career victories overall, including a 46-33 mark while at Jacksonville.

Eight of his teams won conference titles, eight reached the regionals, four won Eastern Regional titles and three 2008, 2010 and, most recently, 2012 won a state North Carolina High School Athletic Association boys basketball championship.

Gulledges three state titles account for nearly half of the schools total of eight, which includes five won by Grainger High in the 1950s and 60s.

First of all, Id just like to thank everyone in the community that has supported us in Kinston. I wish I had time to write individual letters to everyone, Gulledge said. (Kinston is) home to me. Its a very special place to me. My 11 years were very great years.

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Gulledge to leave coaching

National Senior Health & Fitness Day kicks off at 8 a.m. today at the Purrysburg Fitness Center.

The schedule includes:

Giant Aerobics Class: 89:30 a.m. in front of the Purrysburg Fitness Center.

Get your heart pumping during the Gigantic Aerobics Class. If it rains, the class will be held at the pavilion. Enter the raffle to win a free T-shirt. There will also be chair instruction for beginners.

Aerobics instructors are Chamoni from 88:30 a.m., Lee from 8:309 a.m. and then Lois from 99:30 a.m.

Free Fitness Testing: 89:30 a.m., Purrysburg Fitness Center Aerobics Room.

This is a great way to compare fitness levels from year to year. You are welcome to come and go between the aerobics class and the fitness testing. The fitness testing will be done on a first-come, first-serve basis. Plus a T-shirt raffle.

Four fitness tests are available: Chair stand test testing lower body strength (30 seconds); back scratch test testing upper body flexibility (1 minute); 8foot up and go test agility test; and step in place test measures aerobic fitness (2 minutes).

The Health Fair is from 10 a.m.1 p.m. in Pinckney Hall.

More than 70 health and wellness companies will be on hand. Health care providers will offer informational handouts, free screenings, demonstrations, tests and health screenings including: Blood pressure, oral cancer, skin cancer, ABI, diabetes, foot pressure mapping and much more. They will also have lots of free goodies.

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Get moving today at National Senior Health & Fitness Day

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Shannan Bergtholdt, the health promotion program manager at the Health and Wellness Center, helps a client. Bergtholdt uses a portion plate to educate the client on a proper diet. Consuming a diet comprising primarily fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy while limiting added sugars and fats is also a great way of keeping healthy and managing weight.

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE -- Maintaining good health and fitness can be daunting while on a profile, but the Health and Wellness Center at Holloman Air Force Base has the staff and resources to overcome the challenge.

HAWC will answer questions and build confidence in airmen who feel they cannot do much of anything because they are limited by a profile, but there are things they can do to be active, said Shannan Bergtholdt, health promotion program manager.

Aqua jogging is a great workout for airmen who have injuries to their lower extremities, said Kevin Fallon, fitness program manager. A foam belt fits around the person's waist that suspends them in the water, which provides resistance to the legs as they move through the pool. The treadmill, elliptical and a high-intensity walk can be good alternatives for a person on a profile that restricts high impact activities.

The resources at HAWC can help airmen understand the different workouts available, along with information for a proper diet.

Many of the classes offered at the fitness center, like spin class, body pump and body combat, are modifiable based on profile restrictions and still allow airmen to get a great workout, Bergtholdt said.

"I offer one-on-one sessions for airmen who cannot make the classes and need extra help during their profile, which has produced more than a 90 percent pass rate for those airmen," said Fallon.

Often, airmen are placed on a profile, then gain weight because their activity level goes down dramatically, Bergtholdt said. To help combat this, HAWC can offer a tailored program that includes structured workouts and a nutritional guide.

Consuming a diet comprising primarily fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy while limiting added sugars and fats is also a great way of keeping healthy and managing weight, Bergtholdt said.

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Eye for health, fitness