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The Cooper Companies Seeks License Option from EP Global
by Zacks Equity Research Published on March 17, 2015 | 2 Comments
http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/167992/the-co...-ep-global
COO
The Cooper Companies Inc. (COO - Analyst Report) has recently asked EP Global Communications to allow an immediate exclusive option to license the latter’s technologies. Notably, in 2014, the two companies had entered into a development agreement for new technologies in the ophthalmic and medical space.
CooperVision (CVI), a business unit of The Cooper Companies, through its in-house IP counsel Muriel Haritchabalet, has requested EP Global to grant the exclusive right. The request comes nearly one year earlier than EP Global’s expectation. Reportedly, CooperVision has now engaged outside IP counsel Tom Counts of Paul Hastings LLP in order to negotiate with EP Global.
The Cooper Companies seems quite eager to acquire the license, given the fact that the new technologies will fetch an estimated $5 billion annually in the field of ophthalmic.
We believe The Cooper Companies is poised to gain significant market traction, once it receives the exclusive license of EP Global’s technologies .
If all goes well, this development will necessarily complement a series of positive developments that have favored The Cooper Companies in recent times. In January, the company’s MyDay lenses, which belong to the next generation of silicone hydrogel lenses, were made commercially available in the Hong Kong market.
The company also has plans to launch MyDay lenses in the U.S. in the second half of 2015. We feel once MyDay establishes itself as a premium lens, The Cooper Companies will have significant opportunities for faster margin expansion. Amid this, the company is also set to roll out its clariti lenses in the domestic market in the upcoming months.
Taking all these in stride, we feel, a busy and potentially fruitful 2015 is in store for The Cooper Companies.
Zacks Rank
The Cooper Companies currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked medical stocks at the current moment include Affymetrix (AFFX - Analyst Report), Luminex (LMNX - Analyst Report) and Abaxis (ABAX - Analyst Report). While Affymetrix and Abaxis sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Luminex has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).