Jason Chew Targacept is a company focused on CNS diseases and disorders, targeting Neuronal Nicotinic Receptors (NNRs). As a company spun off from R.J Reynolds and still located in Winston-Salem, it knows a thing or two about this subject. NNRs are ion channels that open in response to the binding of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine allowing […]
Curis Drug GDC-0449 Fails Colorectal Trial
Jason Chew Curis released results today for its hedghog pathway inhibitor GDC-0449 in a pivotal Phase II colorectal trial run by Roche. The company said its drug failed to extend the time of disease progression or death in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Curis stock plunged from yesterday’s close of $3.26 to $1.69, a 48% drop. This […]
Ariad is Set For Success
Jason Chew For years, much of Ariad’s value had been tied to its mTOR inhibitor, Ridaforolimus. Ridaforolimus is an orally bio-available analog of Rapamycin- an immunosuppresent discovered decades ago- the “R” in mTOR. Thus far, there are two other analogs, or Rapalogs, as they are called, approved in oncology indications ahead of Ridaforolimus, the first-to-market […]
Genomic Health- Possible Takeover Candidate
Jason Chew Genomic Health is a pure-play oncology in-vitro diagnostics company with approved products and a pipeline to drive future growth. It fits in well with the growing importance of personalized medicine in the pharmaceutical industry. Personalized medicine is comprised of two parts- the drug, and the diagnostic, a combination sometimes referred to as Dx/Rx. […]
Celldex Sets it Straight at ASCO
After Celldex’s flubbed pre-ASCO abstract release led investor to question interim Phase II data for its cancer vaccine CDX-110 (PF-04948568), also with the generic name Rindopepimut, they made sure to get things straight at ASCO. As a reminder, the abstract stated 70% of patients on drug were alive and progression free at 5.5 months. This […]
Vivus Has a Hit in Qnexa
Obesity has a high prevalence in the US and is now frequently cited as being a national health issue. It is on the rise in almost every industrialized and some industrializing nations. There are currently no blockbuster weight loss drugs due to lack of efficacy, though many have failed due to unwanted side effects. Some […]
Investment Opportunities in Women’s Health
The next several months will be an exciting time for the women’s health space, with several important events that may represent an opportunity for investors. Most notably, Pfizer (PFE) has completed data collection for it’s 2186-patient study of Pristiq for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms, more commonly known as hot flashes. Wyeth, now part of […]
Alexion Pharmaceuticals- Poster Child for Ultra-orphan Treatments
Alexion got some good news today, receiving earlier than expected approval for its drug, Soliris (eculizumab), for the treatment of PNH in Japan- the world’s second largest pharmaceuticals market. Having received approval from the FDA and the European Commission only in 2007, Soliris has rocketed to expected 2010 sales of over $500 Million. It has […]
Roche- Leading the Way in Personalized Medicine
(Featured in TheBigRedBiotechBlog) This Swiss pharma is the third largest pharmaceutical company both by revenue and market cap. It is one of the fastest growing companies in its peer group, with sales growth of 7% in 2009. This compares to approximately 4% YoY growth for Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, and Johnson & Johnson. With the purchase of […]
Next Generation Antibody Technologies- Seattle Genetics Leads the Way
Next Generation Antibody Technologies- Seattle Genetics Leads the Way Monoclonal Antibody Technology has revolutionized medicine. Since 1986, more than 20 Antibody drugs have been approved, with sales of $26 Billion in 2007 and expected to nearly double to $49 Billion by 2013. Sales are highly concentrated, with the top five drugs- Avastin, Rituxin Herceptin, Humira, […]
Incyte Pharmaceuticals: JAK it Up
Incyte Pharmaceuticals: JAK it Up Incyte Pharmaceuticals has one of the most promising pipelines in the small to mid-cap space. It has two very promising compounds in development, INCB18424 for the treatment of Myelofibrosis (MF), a disease classified under the Myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) family, and other oncology indications, and INCB28050 for the treatment of Rheumatoid […]
Biotech’s One-Trick Pony
The One-Trick Pony We’ve heard this many times- never bet on that one-trick pony. Risky bet. You’ll lose your shirt. So what does this one-trick pony thing look like? What should we be looking out for? Where do we find this three-horned beast? But seriously, what defines a biotech as a one-trick pony? Here I […]
The Promise Behind Celldex- ASCO 2010
The Promise Behind Celldex Celldex shares climbed steadily in the months leading up to the release of its ASCO abstracts, rising from $4.71 at the start of the year and hitting a high of $9.43 on May 18. Shares 9% the day the abstracts were released on May 21, closing at $6.97. Share prices have […]
Bionovo: novel approach, challenges ahead, but poised to move higher
The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a study that demonstrated several lethal side-effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), has left many pharmaceutical companies scrambling to advance alternative therapies to meet the unique market demand created by the drop in hormone sales. Although several therapies have advanced to late-stage clinical studies, few represent a truly novel approach. […]
Serada Half Price Sale: DepoMed’s Stock Price Poised to Climb
Several weeks ago, DepoMed (NASDAQ:DEPO), a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced positive phase 3 trial results for the treatment of Post Herpetic Neuralgia (‘PHN’) with DM1796. But DepoMed’s news of success was soon eclipsed. Only one week later, the company announced that Serada didn’t meet its primary endpoints in two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials for […]
Weight loss, as easy as taking a Qnexa pill
Vivus Pharmaceuticals shocked the health-care industry earlier this year when it announced positive phase III results for it’s new obesity miracle drug. The drug, dubbed Qnexa, is a combination of two, already approved therapies, phentermine and topiramate. Qnexa, combines phentermine, the stimulant that boost the metabolism, with topiramate, an anti-convulsant that also interferes with binge-eating […]
Warner Chilcott to devour Proctor & Gamble drug unit
Pharmaceutical M&A is still robust. Rumors are spreading that Warner Chilcott (NASDAQ:WCRX) will purchase Proctor & Gamble’s (NYSE:PG) prescription drug unit as early as tomorrow. The price tag is rumored to be around $3 Billion USD. If the deal is completed, Warner Chilcott will double it’s annual revenue, making it a resounding force in the […]
Black Cohosh, Red Clover not effective for Hot Flashes
Women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms have few treatment options. According to two studies conducted by researchers at Northwestern University and University of Illinois, two commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) remedies do not relief menopausal hot flashes. In the studies, black cohosh and red clover were compared to hormone replacement therapy and placebo. The study included […]
Depomed’s new Parkinson’s drug shows promise
Depomed (NASDAQ:DEPO), a specialty pharmaceutical company, reported positive updates in it’s most recent 10Q regarding it’s phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease with DM-1992, a novel sustained-release formulation of LevoDopa/Carbidopa. According to the company’s 10Q, Depomed completed the study in early August of 2009. “In the study, DM-1992 extended coverage above […]
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 […]
