Bird Flu Biz

Like war, any crisis is a golden opportunity for profit. The looming pandemic is no exception.

This thread will track new products, mergers, acquisitions and other business 'repositionings' and 'developments' designed to profit from the pandemic.

Remember:

It's not a conspiracy, just good business.

Ignoring Cheney's Tamiflu bonanza for the moment, here are 2 new finds to launch the thread:

Quigley Corporation created a compound, as in cream, for treating herpes eye infections. But it didn't work. So it will be modified to treat respiratory infections. Right. We'll just suck it up.

Herpes Treatment Fails: To Be Repackaged as Bird Flu Treatment

Quigley Corp. said Thursday its herpes treatment was not effective in treating infections of the eye in an animal model, but the drug maker's Quigley Pharma unit will pursue other uses for the treatment.

Quigley said it will continue developing the compound to treat respiratory viruses. The compound has also been shown to have an effect against influenza viruses, such as the H5N1 strain of the bird flu.

Chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride created the Protein Acquisition Corporation as a vehicle for merging with chicken and pork processor Gold Kist Farms. Now, "Pilgrim's Pride Corporation is the largest chicken producer in the United States and Puerto Rico and the second-largest producer and seller of chicken in Mexico." Thanks to the Protein Acquisition Corporation.

The Great Chicken Merger and the Protein Acquisition Corporation

...Pilgrim's Pride and Gold Kist entered into a definitive merger agreement on December 3, 2006, under which Pilgrim's Pride agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Gold Kist common stock for $21.00 per share in cash. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Pilgrim's Pride and Gold Kist and has a total equity value of approximately $1.1 billion, plus the assumption or refinancing of approximately $144 million of Gold Kist's debt. Upon expiration of the subsequent offering period, Pilgrim's Pride intends to complete the acquisition of Gold Kist through a merger of its acquisition vehicle, Protein Acquisition Corporation, into Gold Kist, in which all Gold Kist shares not tendered into Pilgrim's Pride's offer (other than shares held in the treasury of Gold Kist or held by Pilgrim's Pride or any of its subsidiaries) will be converted into the right to receive $21.00 per share. Following the merger, Gold Kist will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Pilgrim's Pride.

As a result of this transaction, Pilgrim's Pride Corporation is the largest chicken producer in the United States and Puerto Rico and the second-largest producer and seller of chicken in Mexico. Pilgrim's Pride employs approximately 56,500 people and operates 37 processing and 12 prepared-food facilities, with major operations in Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Mexico and Puerto Rico as well as other facilities in Arizona, Iowa, Mississippi, Ohio and Utah.

Pilgrim's Pride products are sold to foodservice, retail and frozen entree customers. The Company's primary distribution is through retailers, foodservice distributors and restaurants throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and in the Northern and Central regions of Mexico. For more information, please visit www.pilgrimspride.com....

Also see: www.goldkist.com...

Love that name: The "Protein Acquisition Corporation."

Makes me think of Soylent Green for some reason.

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Pilgrim's Pride created the Protein Acquisition Corporation and engineered a hostile takeover of chicken and pork processor Gold Kist Farms, as outlined above.

Here's their latest Press Release for investors:

Webcast Alert: Pilgrim's Pride Corporation to Webcast First-Quarter Conference Call With Investors

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements include: matters affecting the poultry industry generally, including fluctuations in the commodity prices of feed ingredients, chicken and turkey; additional outbreaks of avian influenza or other diseases, either in our own flocks or elsewhere, affecting our ability to conduct our operations and/or demand for our poultry products; contamination of our products, which has in the past and can in the future lead to product liability claims and product recalls; exposure to risks related to product liability, product recalls, property damage and injuries to persons, for which insurance coverage is expensive, limited and potentially inadequate; changes in laws or regulations affecting our operations or the application thereof; competitive factors and pricing pressures or the loss of one or more of our largest customers; currency exchange rate fluctuations, trade barriers, exchange controls, expropriation and other risks associated with foreign operations; management of our cash resources, particularly in light of our leverage, and restrictions imposed by and as a result of, our leverage; inability to effectively integrate Gold Kist's business or realize the associated cost savings and operating synergies currently anticipated; and the impact of uncertainties of litigation as well as other risks described under "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Pilgrim's Pride Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

lol:

I have a question who would buy the main ingredient in a bird flu treatment before its even a real threat as opposed to a speculative threat like it is right now?

I ma talking about here in the US and Canada.

[edit on 22-1-2007 by Desolate Cancer]

Originally posted by Desolate Cancer
I have a question who would buy the main ingredient in a bird flu treatment before its even a real threat as opposed to a speculative threat like it is right now?

I ma talking about here in the US and Canada.

The US and Canada have invested major $$$ in Tamiflu, even though many H5N1 strains are Tamiflu-resistant, and the drug has serious side effects, especially in children.