Topic: How To Invest

Hi, Pat: What do you think about Merus Labs?

Article Excerpt

Merus Labs International Ltd., $1.97, symbol MSL on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 102.3 million; Market cap: $201.5 million; www.meruslabs.com), is a Toronto-based company that acquires the rights to established drugs. Merus mainly targets relatively small, mature products, as opposed to the newer treatments that attract the attention of larger drug firms. The company outsources its manufacturing and other operations, so it has low operating costs and few employees. By focusing on acquisitions, it also spends nothing to develop new drugs. The company’s main products include Enablex (an overactive-bladder treatment), Sintrom (anticoagulant) and Vancocin (antibiotic). It mainly sells these drugs in Canada and Europe. In May 2015, Merus paid Novartis Pharma $29.5 million U.S. for the rights to two more drugs: Salagen (which relieves dry mouth symptoms in cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy) and Estraderm (a hormone replacement therapy for women). In 2014, these treatments had total revenue of…