Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) –NYSE Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) had a wild year, up from the lows of $41.11 in late August 2013 to reach a new 12 years high $57.49 in early March 2014, as investors were anticipating the anti PD-1 data coming at ASCO-2014 and with high expectations for BMY’s data of […]
CAR-T in the spotlight: Cellectis
Two weeks ago, Cellectis (ALCLS) and Pfizer (PFE) struck an agreement to develop new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-based therapies for oncology. Pfizer will pay $80M upfront and up to $185M in milestones per product plus royalties on sales. Additionally, Pfizer has acquired a 10% stake in Cellectis. Pfizer has exclusive rights to develop 15 […]
ASCO small caps: SNSS KPTI CYTR IMUC ZEL
Sunesis (SNSS) The company presented a poster of an MD Anderson-sponsored trial of its investigational drug voseroxin plus decitabine. There was intriguing data with regard to the response rates. 30 patients (pts) were evaluable for response; 13 (43%) achieved CR, 6 (20%) CRp, and 3 (10%) CRi, for an ORR of 81% with no evidence […]
June 11 Biotech Update
Another relatively slow summer day in the market in terms of trading but the sector seemed to outperform the broader market. Even with that marginal outperformance, I would not read anything new into in that I still believe that the macro is going to drive the next move. That being said I would not be […]
Biotech Fund Action in the Run Up to ASCO
(This is a guest post by Emory Redd and the disclosures are his at the bottom as well. I also apologize for the table formatting. They actually look much better in word but I cannot figure out how to get them to work in wordpress. I was running out of time to get this out […]
IBB – In the Decision Zone
iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology (IBB) – Nasdaq The best indicators for our biotech portfolios are the biotechnology indices IBB, NBI, XBI or XLV. We will maintain our focus on the IBB as the biotech barometer. And as mentioned in my last report ” IBB – Biotech Sector in The Despondency Point ” the emotions are playing an important role […]
Progenics: Consolidation Ahead of the AdCom
Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (PGNX) -Nasdaq Relistor has been approved by regulatory authorities in the U.S., countries in the E.U., Canada and Australia since 2008 for treatment of OIC in advanced-illness patients receiving palliative care when laxative therapy has not been sufficient. On May 09, 2014 Progenics announced during the 1Q earnings call an FDA Advisory Committee […]
Sunesis: little value in VALOR
Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SNSS) is expected to report top-line data from the Phase III VALOR study in the third or fourth quarter of this year. The VALOR study is testing vosaroxin plus cytarabine vs. cytarabine alone in patients with first relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (r/r AML), with survival as the primary endpoint. […]
Outlook and New Beginnings
With ASCO approaching and some major market moving events, I just wanted to provide some perspective with earnings season almost over. – I get the impression that ASCO will be largely focused on how Bristol-Myers’ competition is looking and whether a viable dosing regimen of Yervoy+Nivolumab in non-small cell lung cancer can be found that […]
April 23 Biotech Update- Shooting Out of the Earnings Gate
This was a relatively slow news day (compared to yesterday and Monday) but there is still a lot to talk about with the large cap earnings. The sector did not responsd great but it is still early and I want to see how it closes before judging this reaction. In addition, the market backdrop was […]
Dissecting the ASCO 2014 abstract titles
Today, the American Society for Clinical Oncology(ASCO) posted a link to the ASCO 2014 meeting planner[LINK]. The planner also includes all of the abstract titles at the meeting. ASCO 2014 is scheduled to take place from May 30th to June 3rd, 2014. Below we list some of our observations on the oral abstracts. We have […]
INSM – Quick take on Insmed
Insmed (NASDAQ: INSM) is expected to report top-line data from a Phase II trial of Arikace in non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) infection tomorrow morning. This is a double-blind placebo-controlled study that has recruited 90 patients and is comparing the change in semi-quantitative mycobacterial culture density on a seven-point scale from baseline to the end of treatment […]
Corcept – Fourth time a charm?
Corcept Therapeutics (CORT) is currently awaiting topline Phase III data for Korlym(mifepristone) in psychotic depression in the second quarter. Currently, Corcept projects Korlym will do net revenue between $24-$28 million under it’s limited label for endogenous Cushing’s syndrome, a rare condition in which the adrenal glands overproduce cortisol. Below you will find an assessment of […]
Quick Take on GERN Clinical Hold
Geron announced this morning the FDA had placed a clinical hold on its lead drug Imetelstat. While the agency cited only trials in ET, PV, and MM, the company also expects a delay in its key Phase II MF study- originally set to begin mid-year. Shares plunged from $4.40 to as low as $1.39, but […]
Upcoming events for Merck
Members of Chimera Research Group have successfully been trading Merck for the past few months, especially Joe Gantos(@GantosJ). Merck has been one of the strongest big pharmas over the past few month on the heels of pipeline developments. With a new year, we want to provide a road map for what’s to come in the […]
Upcoming events for Pfizer
Pfizer (PFE) isn’t traditionally on my watchlist as a name to follow, however, this may be an exception. Palbocicib is likely the most exciting pipeline product in development at Pfizer right now. It received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA in April 2013 for the treatment of breast cancer, following very encouraging Phase 2 results […]
A look at Auspex Pharma
Lately, it seems like there is a new biotech IPO being filed every other day. Today, we want to take a look at a recent IPO, Auspex Pharmaceuticals (ASPX). Auspex recently raised 7 million shares at $12 per share and has roughly 22.5 million shares outstanding. It is currently valued around $550 million in market […]
High Risk, High Reward With GW Therapeutics (GWPH)
In just a year’s time, GW has morphed from a company focused on the marketing of an approved product to one dedicated to the development of an early stage orphan drug candidate. A majority of the company’s valuation is now derived from this Phase I anti-epilepsy treatment. Crucial data from an ongoing Investigator Sponsored Trial […]
Update on Protalix
On Wednesday, Protalix (PLX) will present data from their phase I clinical trial of oral glucocerebrosidase (GCD), or Oral GCD (PRX-112), in patients with Gaucher disease. The presentation will be at 1:15pm PST at the Lysosomal Storage Disease Network WORLD Symposium (LDN WORLD). While Sanofi/Genzyme are nearing potential approval of Cerdelga (eliglustat), the data should […]
Arrowhead Research (ARWR)– Great Technology, But is the Company Over-Promising on ARC-520?
Two billion people globally have been infected with hepatitis B (HBV), and approximately 350 million are chronic carriers, including approximately 750,000 persons in the US. Among the chronically infected, 15% – 40% will develop cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma. Each year approximately 5000 people in the US and 1 million worldwide die from cirrhosis, liver failure […]
