Happy mid-ASCO (although most of the data is already presented). Some interesting ASCO and, surprisingly, non-ASCO stories. 1. I added to my SGEN position today (at $33.67). It has been under pressure recently and I’ve been looking to add over the summer in anticipation of HL data at ASH. I am intimately aware of the […]
Flash takes from ASCO 2013 Day 1/2
With Day 1 and 2 of ASCO 2013 completed, we wanted to review some of our main conclusions from the presentations and posters we reviewed. We will try our best given the vast amount of dense information covered during this time. As we previously said, this was largely a conference dominated by newsflow from big […]
ASCO2013 Take Three: PD1 antibodies will have significant presence
This is our third piece in a series of articles on developments expected at ASCO 2013[1,2]. Currently, we think the majority of the exciting presentations at ASCO 2013 will be from clinical candidates at big pharma. In particular, anti-programmed death-1 monoclonal antibodies(anti-PD-1) like Bristol Myers’ Nivolumab(BMS-936558), Merck’s Lambrolizumab (MK-3475), GSK’s AMP-224, Teva/CureTech’s CT-011 and Roche/Genentech’s […]
Preview of ASCO2013 Take One
With the 2013 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) rapidly approaching, we want to take the time to present our highlights of the meeting. This is one of the largest medical meetings investors focus upon in the biotech and healthcare sectors. Before we get into this, we do have some overarching […]
Upcoming earnings and conferences this week
With the first quarter behind us, we look to updates across the biotech industry on new product launches and guidance for the year. We are also coming upon the summer medical conference series. Additionally, we briefly discuss 2 upcoming FDA approvals. Upcoming earnings releases and updates Monday, April 22nd After-Hours: ILMN Tuesday, April 23rd Pre-Market: […]
2012 ASH Meeting – Myelofibrosis, Lymphoma, Myeloma
It’s going to be a busy few days at ASH, which begins December 8 in Atlanta. A huge amount of data will be presented; here is an overview of some interesting abstracts. YMI: YM Biosciences Title: Phase I/II Study of CYT387, a JAK1/JAK2 Inhibitor for the Treatment of Myelofibrosis YM Biosciences will present final safety […]
Bristol’s HepC Drug Fails – Now Idenix Compound Is On Clinical Hold
Bristol’s nuc, INX189, crashed not long after the compound was acquired through a $2.5 billion buyout of Inhibitex as a result of heart failure in one patient. Now the FDA has called for a partial clinical hold on a similar compound made by Idenix out of caution. IDIX stock has dropped about 30% today. Toxicity […]
INCY – An Immunotherapy Play?
At ASCO this past June, Incyte presented early data from its new Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1) inhibitor project. Their small molecule inhibitor, INCB024360, was tested primarily to determine safety and tolerability; secondary endpoints included PK, biomarkers, and signs of anti-tumor activity. The compound demonstrated a good safety profile among 38 patients, with the maximum tolerated dose […]
EASL – A Look Back- Lessons Learned
There were some early winners and losers this year at EASL. Here we examine a few new interferon-free combination treatments, the most exciting development in HCV today; and look outward to determine how the future may shape up. The Good News: The star of the stage, once again, was GS-7977 (formerly PSI-7977). Gilead’s nucleotide polymerase […]
IDIX – Interview With CEO Ron Renaud
Idenix CEO Ron Renaud Q&A April 11, 2012 Idenix has been the subject of considerable attention with EASL (The European Association for the Study of the Liver) approaching and embargoed abstracts flying around the web. The company’s shares have been battered, dropping nearly 50% from January highs as questions have arisen over the potency of […]
IDIX – Is IDX-184 Good Enough?
Idenix may have a new lease on life now that the FDA has lifted all holds on its lead nucleotide IDX184. The company is very keen to put its nuc in combination with a pan-genotypic compound, either a protease inhibitor or NS5a inhibitor. To ensure it doesn’t run into the same toxicity problems it had […]
DEPO – Quick Update – Paragraph IV – DM1992 Phase 2
Depomed released a statement that Actavis Group, a generic drug manufacturer filed a paragraph IV challenge against Gralise, Depomed’s once-daily gabapentin formulation. NEUTRAL on Paragraph IV We view this event as having no net impact. Patent challenges are not unexpected in this pharmaceutical environment, especially in the drug delivery space. The current generic drug legislation rewards early […]
LXRX – Lexicon Pharmaceuticals is Overvalued
Lexicon Pharma stocks its drug candidate pipeline with a discovery platform based on mouse gene knockout technology, which has allowed them to study the roles of different proteins in disease and select drug targets accordingly. The company’s major clinical programs are headlined by their candidate for type 2 diabetes, LX4211. LXRX has consistently talked about […]
BMY & INHX – Bristol-Myers Squibb Buys Inhibitex for $2.5 Billion
Bristol-Myers Squibb Buys Inhibitex for $2.5 Billion On Saturday, Bristol announced it would acquire Inhibitex for $26 a share, about $2.5 billion dollars, a 163% premium to the companies $9.87 Friday closing price. Inhibitex had been the hot topic of takeover speculation lately for its HCV drug INX-189, a coveted nucleotide polymerase inhibitor. The hepatitis […]
ACHN – Initiating Coverage
Achillion: Initiating Coverage Background: Achillion is a small biotech focused on the development of a cure for Hepatitis C. It has several compounds in its pipeline, all unpartnered. The two leading products are next-generation protease inhibitors, ACH-1625 and ACH-2684, followed up by a duo of NS5A inhibitors, ACH-2928 and ACH-3102. There has been considerable M&A […]
PFE & BMY – Quick Update on Pfizer’s and Bristol’s Apixaban
In the past week Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) have had two notably regulatory events for Apixiban, or ELIQUIS. On November 25th, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) made an unusually rapid decision to adopt and cover Apixaban for use by the state health service in the UK. This […]
ASH Stock Preview
2011 ASH Stock Preview It’s the end of the year, which can mean only one thing- the American Society of Hematology Convention is coming up! ASH is the year’s largest meeting for researchers and investors interested in hematology, or blood cancers. This year’s convention will be held from December 9th through 12th in sunny San […]
PFE & BMY – The anticoagulant market & the Apixaban Catalyst
Background: The market for anti-thrombosis agents is set for dramatic changes. A thrombus is an aggregation of platelets which plays a key part in several life-threatening diseases, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, deep-vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stent thrombosis, as well as other medical conditions. The market for therapies against thrombosis can be broken down simply […]
Bristol-Myers Squibb- High Dividend, Zero Growth
Jason Chew With a 5% dividend, Bristol-Myers Squibb provides one the highest yields you can find. This makes BMY a very attractive stock for income investors, especially considering today’s near-zero interest rate environment. There are however, a couple hiccups for investors to be aware of- Bristol is set to lose patent protection on its best-selling […]
Metformin lowers risks of diabetes… and pancreatic cancer
Metformin, a first-line diabetes treatment, lowers the risk of pancreatic cancer by 62%. According to a study conducted by Donghui Li, Ph.D from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, drugs like Glumetza, Fortamet, and Glucophage were associated with a significantly reduced risk of pancreatic cancer. The study was a hospital-based, case-control […]
