The Motley Foolยท2025-10-17 10:17Core Insights - The article discusses two underperforming healthcare companies, Iovance Biotherapeutics and Teladoc Health, and evaluates their potential as contrarian investment opportunities [2][13]. Group 1: Iovance Biotherapeutics - Iovance Biotherapeutics is a small-cap biotech company known for its advanced melanoma treatment, Amtagvi, which was approved in February 2024 [3][4]. - Revenue from Amtagvi reached $109.3 million in the first half of 2025, more than tripling from the previous year [3]. - The company projects annual revenue of $250 million to $300 million, with a current market cap of $773 million [4]. - Iovance has received approval for Amtagvi in Canada and plans to expand into other countries, targeting a significant market due to the high mortality rate from melanoma in the U.S. [4][5]. - Amtagvi is also being investigated for treating other cancers, which could further enhance sales if clinical progress is made [6]. - The complexity of manufacturing and administering Amtagvi poses challenges, as it requires 34 days to prepare and can only be administered in specialized centers [6][7]. Group 2: Teladoc Health - Teladoc Health has experienced a decline in traction but maintains a large ecosystem with 102.4 million members in its integrated care segment, an 11% increase year-over-year [8]. - The company is addressing subscriber losses in its BetterHelp virtual therapy segment through acquisitions, including UpLift, which has insurance agreements covering 100 million potential patients [9][10]. - Teladoc's second-quarter revenue fell by 2% year-over-year to $631.9 million, but its established presence in telemedicine and international expansion efforts may support a recovery [11][12]. - Despite the risks, Teladoc is viewed as a more attractive investment option due to higher revenue and lower net losses compared to Iovance [13][15].