Steve McDonald: Hi, everybody. I’m Steve McDonald, and this is your Market Wake-Up Call. This week, our guest is the Club’s Chief Income Strategist and world-class biotech investment expert Marc Lichtenfeld. He’s here to discuss what might be one of the biggest events in the multidecade history of The Oxford Club. Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House and healthcare policy expert, will be Marc’s guest for a summit on the healthcare crisis and how to fix it. Yes, the Newt Gingrich. So let’s get right to it. Welcome, Marc.

Marc Lichtenfeld: Hi, Steve.

Steve McDonald: So why is biotech the sector to be in right now? How has it done so far this year?

Marc Lichtenfeld: It’s had a pretty solid year so far, and I think it’s going to get a lot better. There are a lot of catalysts on the horizon for this sector. There are a lot of new drugs that are likely going to be coming to market and getting approved by the FDA. And in fact, the FDA has been pretty aggressive as far as bringing new drugs to the market faster. That’s become one of its missions under the Trump administration – to get rid of all the backlog and delays in bringing drugs to market. So if a drug is proven safe and effective, the FDA is going to make a concerted effort to get it onto the market faster, which is something we really haven’t seen in decades and decades. That’s going to be a big positive for the sector.

Steve McDonald: Now, there’s been a lot of action regarding biotech initial public offerings (IPOs). Is this a good or a bad sign for that sector?

Marc Lichtenfeld: You’re right – we’ve had a lot of action. We’re way ahead of last year’s pace at this point in the year. We’ve had 43 biotech IPOs. I think that’s great for the sector. It shows that there’s a lot of demand out there for these kinds of stocks, that we have a lot of different companies making progress in various fields and various therapies, and that these companies are attracting dollars and coming to market. So I think it’s a very big positive for the sector.

Steve McDonald: Now, you and Newt – I feel funny saying that… you and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich – are hosting The 2019 American Health & Wealth Summit on Thursday, July 18, and you’re focusing on a specific catalyst. Have you seen this catalyst before? And what kind of profit potential are we talking about?

Marc Lichtenfeld: I think – and Newt would agree with me – that this is going to be one of the biggest catalysts in the history of the biotech sector. There’s a class of stocks and therapies out there that have potential to be a trillion-dollar market, and we’re just getting started as far as seeing those therapies come to market. They’re advancing through the pipeline, so it’s really the first inning of what I believe is going to be a complete game changer in healthcare and could be for investors as well. Because if you get in early on biotech stocks, particularly those with this kind of potential, you have just enormous profit potential. I’ve never seen anything like it in the 16 years I’ve been covering the sector.

Steve McDonald: Now, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt as we call him now here, is obviously a very big deal. Why did he want to get involved with this project, and what are you hoping to going to take away from it?

Marc Lichtenfeld: Newt wanted to get involved with it because he saw the enormous potential not just on the profit side – obviously he would like to see Americans who are struggling with retirement obtain a better retirement and have a little bit more money for their future – but also because he knows that this catalyst could be a game changer in the American health system as far as cost. This catalyst really has the potential to bring costs way down for the entire sector as these new drugs come on the market. It really could make a very big difference in not just how drugs are priced, but in the amount that we all have to pay for healthcare as consumers and how much our insurance companies have to pay – just the total cost for the American public. I think he sees what a big picture development this is, and I’m looking at it from the profit potential for investors. It’s kind of a neat combination of the two.

Steve McDonald: It’s called The 2019 American Health & Wealth Summit. There’s a link below to sign up for this. Marc Lichtenfeld and Newt Gingrich – yes, the Newt Gingrich… we didn’t bring in a look-alike – are going to be hosting this. It’s free, folks, but you must click on the details. Space is limited, so get on this now. This thing is going to fill up in a heartbeat. The event, obviously, is free, but where is it going to be held?

Marc Lichtenfeld: It’s free online. So all you have to do is sign up, and you’ll be able to stream it on your computer. Like we said, it’s absolutely free.

Steve McDonald: Marc, thanks so much for being with us.

Marc Lichtenfeld: My pleasure, thanks for having me.

Steve McDonald: I’m not joking when I say this is the single biggest thing to ever happen to The Oxford Club. Click on that link now, get your name in there and get in line. It will fill up, and we can handle only a certain number of people. For everybody here at the Market Wake-Up Call, I’m so proud to be a part of an organization that’s hosting one of my heroes, Newt Gingrich. That’s it, I’ll see you next week.