Have you ever seen a horseshoe crab?
If you haven't spent any time living near the Atlantic coast, Gulf of Mexico, or in Asia, odds are you haven't. And quite frankly, that could be a good thing.
They are ancient and downright bizarre creatures. Here is a picture of one from the top.
And if you don't have a fear of spiders and aren't currently eating, feel free to search Google Images for a look from the bottom. They resemble crustaceans but are closely related to ancient spiders, and you'll see the resemblance. Just know that it is nightmare fuel.
These things date back a good 450 million years, and the four species alive today are considered living fossils.
Commercial fishing operations catch them and harvest roe primarily as bait. Eels and birds love the eggs, and that's about it.
So they're ancient, hideous, and no one wants to eat them. Why are we talking about them, you ask?
Because the entirety of modern medical practices is hopelessly dependent on them. Therefore, so are we, each and every one of us.
Just about the only reason there is such a low risk of infection whenever you get a shot, have surgery, or have a wound treated is because of their blood.
Back in 1956, a man named Fred Bang discovered that this archaic kind of blood, when it encounters the most prevalent kinds of bacteria, releases a coagulant. The cells quickly contain any infection, which is then flushed right out with the rest of the waste.
The weird just keeps piling up here, too. These cells move themselves around like amoeba, using arm-like extensions of the cell to drag themselves around within the horseshoe crab.
And quite frankly, the horseshoe crabs would die a horrible death if they didn't have this blood. They have a semi-open circulatory system.
Imagine what kinds of wonderful things would happen if you opened up a bunch of veins and dragged yourself around in the sand and surf.
Back in 1970, the FDA approved a chemical derived from horseshoe crab blood for testing batches of drugs, medical devices, and basically anything else that bypasses a lot of our layered immune system and comes in contact with a patient's blood.
And thus, a critical part of modern medicine flourished, though you'd never know it as a patient.
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Insulin, replacement knees and hips, scalpels, IV bags and needles, syringes. Any medical device that comes into contact with the inside of your body or your blood has been screened for dangerous infectious diseases.
It isn't enough just to try to make a sterile product. Companies need to guarantee that no infectious or dangerous microbes managed to slip by.
If it doesn't seem like much of a concern, that's because of how incredibly effective this system is, but it doesn't work when it isn't used properly.
Back in 2012, a batch of tainted steroids slipped by. 800 patients who went in for routine injections to alleviate back pain were infected with fungal meningitis. Spinal abscesses, strokes, and a host of other severe symptoms appeared, some within days, some within months.
In the end, 64 patients died because of a single routine injection. By the time everything was said and done, Federal prosecutors indicted 14 employees of the company responsible and a $200 million settlement plan was established for the victims.
The consequences are horrific from a public health view, and from a financial view of companies that create pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Millions of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars are at stake every year.
The critical importance, and almost universal ignorance, of this aspect of modern medicine creates a fantastic opportunity for investors.
One company stands far above the rest when it comes to preventing a long list of infections and diseases from routine, everyday procedures.
It works with all of the top 100 global drug developers and worked on 80% of all drugs approved by the FDA in 2017.
But unlike absolutely massive big pharma companies valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars, this one clocks in at just $6 billion.
Its product is worth upwards of $60,000 per gallon, and modern medicine is hopelessly dependent on it.
Jimmy Mengel just sent a research report on the company, and the incredible profit opportunity it creates for its shareholders, to readers of The Crow's Nest.
There is nothing else like it in the stock market. Check out his research for the full details.
Take care,
Adam English
Adam's editorial talents and analysis drew the attention of senior editors at Outsider Club, which he joined in mid-2012. While he has acquired years of hands-on experience in the editorial room by working side by side with ex-brokers, options floor traders, and financial advisors, he is acutely aware of the challenges faced by retail investors after starting at the ground floor in the financial publishing field. For more on Adam, check out his editor's page.