Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Ok, for us guys and gals who know nothing about charts, a couple of insights or pointers of what we are looking at would be appreciated.
Also , where would someone beginning out go to learn a bit about charting in your opinion.
Thanks in advance, and I do enjoy your posts and charts and appreciate your input.
Been a while since I have had time to peruse the board, price movement neutral. Saw a few announcements a few weeks back about the breast and melanoma indications.
I believe we should be in line for a quarterly call on Dec 8th or so, what does everyone expect?
Increase in Avid revenue earnings, any surprises for the street?
Anything on the horizon that could potentially move this along besides the avid earnings, thoughts of Reverse split timing.
Apologize in advance for being somewhat lazy.
How's your charts looking today, have we hit the bottom here and a bounce to close the afternoon, HOD coming?
posted under "Can your immune system cure cancer"on front page of CNN.com
Story highlights
Immunotherapy is quickly emerging as the future of cancer treatment, scientists say
The therapy works by harnessing the immune system to fight cancer from within
(CNN)There was another big win in the advancement of immunotherapy treatments for cancer this week.
The Food and Drug Administration approved an immunotherapy drug called Keytruda, which stimulates the body's immune system, for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.
In other words, the drug could be the very first treatment a patient receives for the disease, instead of chemotherapy. Keytruda is the only immunotherapy drug approved for first-line treatment for these patients.
So it seems, the future of cancer care may be in our own immune systems, but how exactly does it work, and what are its pros and cons?
What is cancer immunotherapy?
What is cancer immunotherapy? 04:39
"It's certainly going to become an independent way of treating cancers," said Dr. Philip Greenberg, head of immunology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, during a Q&A session at the International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference in New York in September.
"We always talk about the three pillars of cancer therapy -- radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery -- and it's become quite clear now that there's going to be a fourth pillar, which is immunotherapy," he said. "There are times where it will be used alone, and there will be times that it will be used in conjunction with the other therapies, but there's very little to question that this is going to be a major part of the way cancers are treated from now on, going forward."
Here's a look at the past, present and future of cancer immunotherapy.
It began with Bessie
In the summer of 1890, 17-year-old Elizabeth Dashiell, affectionately called "Bessie," caught her hand between two seats on a passenger train and later noticed a painful lump in the area that got caught, according to the Cancer Research Institute.
She met with a 28-year-old physician named Dr. William Coley in New York to address the injury. He performed a biopsy, expecting to find pus in the lump, probably from an infection. But what he found was more disturbing: a small gray mass on the bone. It was a malignant tumor from a type of cancer called sarcoma.
Dashiell had her arm amputated to treat the cancer, but the disease quickly spread to the rest of her body. She died in January 1891. A devastated Coley went on to devote his medical career to cancer research.
Fighting cancer by targeting its 'Achilles' heel'
Fighting cancer by targeting its 'Achilles' heel' 01:51
Coley is sometimes referred to as the "father of cancer immunotherapy," according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
During his career, he noticed that infections in cancer patients were sometimes associated with the disease regressing. The surprising discovery prompted him to speculate that intentionally producing an infection in a patient could help treat cancer.
To test the idea, Coley created a mixture of bacteria and used that cocktail to create infections cancer patients in 1893. The bacteria would sometimes spur a patient's immune system to attack not only the infection but also anything else in the body that appeared "foreign," including a tumor. In one case, when Coley injected streptococcal bacteria into a cancer patient to cause erysipelas, a bacterial infection in the skin, the patient's tumor vanished -- presumably because it was attacked by the immune system.
Coley's idea was occasionally studied by various researchers in the 1900s but was not widely accepted as a cancer treatment approach until more recently.
New treatment attacks cancer cells
New treatment attacks cancer cells 02:56
"Immunotherapy has essentially undergone a sort of revolution in the last decade in the sense that something that was experimental -- and there were still questions about what role it would have in the way cancer is treated -- is completely turned around, and now it's clear it's effective," Greenberg said.
German physician Dr. Paul Ehrlich, who won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1908, proposed using the immune system to suppress tumor formation in the "immune surveillance" hypothesis -- an idea that seems to follow Coley's.
Yet it wasn't until the early 2000s that the hypothesis became more widely accepted, according to the Cancer Research Institute. A landmark review published in the journal Nature Immunology in 2002 supported the validity of cancer immunosurveillance.
"Cancer immunotherapy really refers to treatments that use your own immune system to recognize, control and hopefully ultimately cure cancers," said Jill O'Donnell-Tormey, CEO of the Cancer Research Institute, during the conference in New York last month.
"Many people for many years didn't think the immune system was really going to have a role in any treatment for cancer," she said, "but I think the entire medical community (and) oncologists now agree that immunotherapy's here to stay."
'Turning oncology on its head'
One of the most famous cancer patients to have received a form of immunotherapy is former President Jimmy Carter, who had a deadly form of skin cancer called melanoma. Last year, he announced that he was cancer-free after undergoing a combination of surgery, radiation and immunotherapy.
Jimmy Carter announces he's cancer free
Jimmy Carter announces he's cancer free 03:59
Carter was taking Keytruda. It's approved to treat melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, and head and neck cancer. However, it's not the only approved immunotherapy option out there.
"The advances and the results we've seen with using the immune system to treat cancer in the last five years or so are turning the practice of oncology on its head," said Dr. Crystal Mackall, a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and expert on cancer immunotherapy.
"You don't want to overstate it. As an immunotherapist, I see things from my vantage point, which is biased, but my clinical colleagues use words like 'revolution,' " she said. "When I hear them say that, I think, 'Wow, this really is a paradigm shifting for how we think about treating cancer.' "
A lung cancer vaccine was created in this lab
A lung cancer vaccine was created in this lab 06:47
Immunotherapy comes in many forms -- treatment vaccines, antibody therapies and drugs -- and can be received through an injection, a pill or capsule, a topical ointment or cream, or a catheter.
The FDA approved the first treatment vaccine for cancer, called sipuleucel-T or Provenge, in 2010. It stimulates an immune system response to prostate cancer cells and was found in clinical trials to increase the survival of men with a certain type of prostate cancer by about four months.
Another treatment vaccine, called T-VEC or Imlygic, was approved by the FDA in 2015 to treat some patients with metastatic melanoma.
Researchers hail new cancer treatment: Unlocking the body's immune system
Immunotherapy shows promise in fighting cancer
Some antibody therapies have been approved, as well. Antibodies, a blood protein, play a key role in the immune system and can be produced in a lab to help the immune system attack cancer cells.
The FDA has approved several antibody-drug conjugates, including Kadcyla for the treatment of some breast cancers, Adcetris for Hodgkin lymphoma and a type of non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma, and Zevalin for a type of non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma.
The FDA also has approved some immunotherapy drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors. They block some of the harm that cancer cells can cause to weaken the immune system.
Keytruda, which Carter took, is a checkpoint inhibitor drug. Other such drugs include Opdivo to treat Hodgkin lymphoma, advanced melanoma, a form of kidney cancer and advanced lung cancer. Tecentriq is used to treat bladder cancer, and Yervoy is used for late-stage melanoma.
Elephant genes hold clues for fight against cancer, scientists say
Elephant genes hold clues for fight against cancer, scientists say
Additionally, there are many immunotherapy treatments in clinical trials, such as CAR T-cell therapy. The cutting-edge therapy involves removing T-cells from a patient's immune system, engineering those cells in a lab to target specific cancer cells and then infusing the engineered cells back into the patient. The treatment is being tested to treat leukemia and lymphoma.
"The real excitement now in cellular therapy, in T-cell therapies, is it reflects the developments in an area that we call synthetic biology, which is that you can add genes to cells and you can change what they do, how they behave, how they function, what they recognize," Greenberg said.
He added that some approaches to use engineered cells may get approved as early as late 2017.
The high price of new immunotherapy drugs has also garnered attention in the field, according to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. For instance, some estimates suggest that checkpoint inhibitor treatments could cost as much as $1 million per patient.
As approvals continue, many scientists caution that doctors and patients alike should prepare for potential severe side effects and downsides.
Boosting the immune system with such therapies may cause skin reactions, flu-like symptoms, heart palpitations, diarrhea and a risk of infection. New cancer immunotherapy drugs have even been linked to arthritis in some patients.
A clinical trial conducted by Juno Therapeutics to test the effectiveness of an experimental immunotherapy treatment for lymphoblastic leukemia was halted after three patients died. They suffered cerebral edema or brain swelling.
Greenberg is a scientific co-founder of Juno Therapeutics.
The front line in battle against cancer
The front line in battle against cancer 06:22
However, "one of the best attributes of immunotherapy and the future of medicine is that it's very precise in the way that it kills tissue and spares normal tissue, so in some way, immunotherapy is less toxic (than other therapies). There are patients who are treated with checkpoint inhibitors who have essentially no side effects," Mackall said. "That would never happen with chemotherapy. They would always have side effects.
"Still, you know, the fact remains that probably nothing is perfect, and there are likely to be some side effects, but as far as we know now, they are less likely to be as severe or prevalent."
As immunotherapy continues to develop as an option for cancer treatment, experts plan to be realistic about forthcoming challenges.
The challenges of immunotherapy
Experts say they hope to better understand why some patients may have different responses to immunotherapy treatments than others -- and why some treatments may result in remissions instead of relapses, or vice versa.
Can Silicon Valley cure cancer? Napster founder Sean Parker says yes
Can Silicon Valley cure cancer? Sean Parker says yes.
"There's this whole problem of, you give people an immunotherapy, it looks like it's working, and then it stops working. We get recurrences or progression after some period, and the question is, why did that happen? How can you change it?" Greenberg said.
"This is where the science has come to play an important part: Is it because the immune response was working and somehow the tumor turned it off? And if that's the case, then we have to look at ways in which we can reactivate the immune system," he said. "Or is it not that, is it just that the immune system did what it's supposed to do, but now a variant grew out, now a tumor grew out that's no longer recognized by the immune response you are enforcing? If that's the case, then we need ways to build subsequent immune responses to tackle that."
Join the conversation
See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter.
Therefore, researchers have to better understand the behavior of not only the immune system but also cancerous tumors -- and it's no simple task.
"If there's a perception that it's easy, that's a mistake. I think our lab has spent decades trying to figure out how to manipulate the immune response," Greenberg said.
"Some patients are anticipating things to change overnight and be immediately available as a therapy. It takes quite a while," he said, "but I'm quite certain immunotherapy is going to be enormously useful. It's just, right now, we are limited in what can be done."
I hope you are right, but if history repeats itself, I am almost positive we had heard that before the last split.
First nibble about 2200 shares at 7.50
Lets start banging those 20000 shares at 7.50 first and here we go!!
Trying to keep us pegged under 7.50. I think we break big before close. 7.77 close, since 7's are my lucky number. Volume would be nice as well.
Interesting trading, lots of 100 share transactions
Final shakedown, we close 7.50 today
Am I seeing this right no pre-market trades?
What a battle on level II, at 7.44-7.46, once it breaks, off we go I think
Endo,
I believe there were even more than the 10 million, just from a small sampling on this board. I had obtained a list a few years back, when we were talking about some strength in numbers and board issues. I have the list , but haven't looked at it in a while, but am pretty sure it was 10-12 million excluding dart, and most of the people had over 100,000 shares and some in the 300k or more range. It wasn't everyone on the board, since some weren't confident in disclosing, which I can understand. If I was to guess, I believe at that time, this board and related members would have easily been close to 15-20 million.
I was close to 250-300k at the time. If I was to also guess, I would think that number has dropped and maybe significantly. I for one have dropped my position by 3/4 on hopes of making some money elsewhere while the stock languished and management does what they have been doing for years. I occasionally pick up more and trade a bit, but waiting for AVXL to pop and will most likely add some more. I think the risk at .39-.40 is very small. Still think We are worth a dollar all day, and also believe shenanigans going on, whether that be management or some other entity keeping the price low, while someone accumulates.
Cautiously optimistic, but have never trusted this management team and their close ties with each other.
Hope that helps
Apologies, should have scrolled down a bit, thanks for the chart update.
Out of wiggle room, does that mean you foresee us breaking 8 today, thanks in advance
Stevie, must be having a ball with the ATM
My apologies, middle of tax season. No time to browse through posts, any word if poison pill was reinstated?
CAsh on hand will most likely remain the same, PPHM has always been comfortable with a certain amount of cash on hand.
If nothing changes in 6-12 months , they will be, how many days are we now under a $1
"All this takes time and money. Time estimate? Based on past history and current collaborations - couple of years. Money estimate? Conservation of cash has begun, Avid growth to outpace current needs and help offset future needs. "
So anyone's thoughts on this:
Contract Revenue was 6,672,000 ( license revenue 37,000?)
Cost of contract Manufacturing 3,896,000.00. SO a 40% Profit Margin
Selling general and administrative costs were roughly 4.5 million
Research and development costs were 15 million
Lets assume Contract Revenue increases to 12,000,000 ( I thought I heard most of it was in the 4th quarter of 16 and 1st quarter of 17. Maybe we net a profit of around 5 million( this could be larger as well, since the new facility will be more profitable). This could potentially cover the Selling general and administrative, since according to the conference call, they will not be restructuring the business, but continuing to grow it.
The real question is how much money will be spent on research and development. I guess we can look back over time, but even with plenty of Bavi on the shelf to supply any upcoming trials and collaborations, there would still be additional costs. Will it be closer to the 5 million dollar range or closer to the 10 to 15 million dollar range, and if so obviously the money has to come from somewhere to cover that. SO over the next 3-6 months we will most likely have a pretty significant negative cash flow.
Collaboration payments or ATM?
Just a quick take, but thank God for AVID or we would be done. Any thoughts appreciated.
Oops one last piece, lets not forget the 1.4 million per quarter payment for the series E preferred. That hurts a little as well.
Agreed,
So let's say 2-3 months to evaluate the data. Do you think anything moves the needle prior to the results of that analysis.
Is their anything on the horizon that could be released which would indicate good trial performance. I believe everything has been stopped on the chemo/combo side, but it sounded to me their would not be any results for additional trials/combinations for a while.
I could be mistaken though, are there I/O trial results potentially coming out prior to 3 months from now?
Timeline metrics to analyze sunrise?
We can do the analysis with the samples and focus on patients that did well in the study. Methodical, a lot of work going on with the plan, a couple of months to go over the data!!
Nothing, I am surprised no analysts have asked yet.
sidestepping the question about cost associated with this. And sounds like very small studies upcoming,
SO what they are saying is they will not be restructuring the company, we will continue to operate as stubbornly as we have and we will continue to award the BOD with the same amount of money they do not deserve. Again their will be no accountability for the failure of BAVI the second time. It is amazing to me that with the sabotage of the Phase II trial, that they still have a doce arm that has performed at a level never seen before. Right under their supposedly watchful eye.
Heads should roll, lets reduce the BOD payments, looks like more ATM from where I am looking.
No Garnick today
There has to be a serious look at some of the main parties and whom they know in this company. That should be right at the top and that also include any paid consultants.
As usual in PPHM something beyond fishy here!!
Is the conference call going yet?
So true, ill be next, my wife will kill me!!
4 years of hanging on for this, unreal. Absolutely criminal. I feel for a bunch of the people on here truly. I don't think in our wildest dreams we would have expected this. And stopping everything else as well. .40 for Avid will be the saving grace. Cheap options for management. On to beta bodies.
Is this is also why they have been focusing on avid as well
And that my friends is why this company has been quiet, up the kazoo again
Whats this APP thing , i missed something along the way, link/ description? Thanks in advance
LOL here is a post I put on the wrong board(AVXL at least that is up 15% today)
Hmmm, is that time now or do we go lower again
BKT Member Level Tuesday, 02/02/16 10:44:18 AM
Re: None
Post # of 52280
Scary but too temptating, another 5k at .929, would have bought 5k more but feeling like we may pop a bit lower.
Tustin feel free to give us an update on anything you have indicated would come to fruition.
Edit heading back up
Well said, I am sure many of us feel the exact frustration you feel.
I have been dreaming about that scenario for a very long time, lets bring it on!!
Scary but too temptating, another 5k at .929, would have bought 5k more but feeling like we may pop a bit lower.
Tustin feel free to give us an update on anything you have indicated would come to fruition.
Edit heading back up
With the share price as it is if this poison pill is not renewed I think we have a problem. That problem Wiwill benefit some entity at the expense of common shareholders
For the life of me, I still can not imagine why this management team continues to shoot themselves in the foot regarding statements of timing or completion of stated items.
Why do you continue to state that full enrollment is on track for end of year, indicate it is weeks away in a conference call and here we are 5 weeks later and not a peep.
Do i need to even go into the announcement of Avid II online and up and running.
Makes you wonder if any of this done on purpose or if they actually think before they state something. Not the brightest thinking here for a company with the stuff that has happened to us in the past, sheesh.
Frustrated, blown away by this price, but still very optimistic of the final outcome.