CUV - Is it safe to come into the light now?

Today we discuss a stock which has taken a winding path to get to here from its early days, with a share price that reflects that volatile journey such has been the path of Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CUV) who are experts in melanocortin (small protein hormones) chemistry and biology.

CUV first started its journey listed as Epitan - which at the time sought approval for a chemically induced ‘fake’ tan. It was renamed in 2006 as CUV. Initially the solution was knocked back by the FDA, but in 2005 when an Australian team licenced the molecule, they set about maximising the medicinal benefits of the significant improvement in sunlight tolerability that the molecule delivered in testing to its subjects.
This led the researchers down the path of the rare skin intolerance condition erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a rare metabolic disorder that causes painful photosensitivity to both natural and in some cases artificial light. Further it can lead to liver disease and gallbladder dysfunction. I will stop with the medical science there (there is a lot more on the company’s website, within their reports and on Google if you are interested.)