Cytori Looks for Fat Profits

The stem cell industry is known for making big promises. But the pledge made by Cytori (CYTX) -- an obscure name in this sometimes overhyped field -- really stands out.

"Our goal is to be not only one of the first revenue-generating stem cell companies but also to be the first profitable one," says Cytori CEO Christopher Calhoun. "It's something we're targeting to do sooner rather than later. ... You won't hear that from others."

To be sure, Cytori seems to face a shorter path than most. As rival stem cell players, such as Geron (GERN), pursue new drugs that could be years -- if not decades -- away, Cytori is seeking near-term approval of its own products through the less arduous process established for medical devices. The company hopes to secure regulatory permission to start selling its first breakthrough treatment, involving stem cells extracted from a patient's own fat, by the end of this year.

Cytori has invented a device that can withdraw stem cells from patient fat for re-use elsewhere in the body. The entire process takes around an hour and, at $2,500 to $10,000 per treatment, looks downright cheap for stem cell-based therapy.

Still, Cytori plans to dominate its first market by addressing an unmet need. If all goes as planned, the company will soon roll out a novel treatment for breast cancer patients seeking reconstructive surgery following partial mastectomies -- or lumpectomies -- that remove tumors but spare the rest of the breast. Those partial breast removals currently leave patients with scars, radiation damage and other reminders of their cancer.