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Merck CEO Ken Frazier Is A Quote Machine
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2016/12/04/merck-ceo-ken-frazier-is-a-quote-machine/#722ad7f9c7a4
Re: ONCS Technology Access Program
I was looking for companies who have a similar program and came across Agilent Technologies.
http://www.drugdiscoveryonline.com/doc/agilent-expands-life-sciences-presence-with-d-0001
Immune System, Unleashed by Cancer Therapies, Can Attack Organs - The New York Times
https://apple.news/AIvIChqzXTDi7Z_dPke2TJg
Research programme: kinase inhibitors - Plexxikon
Alternative Names: Omni-Raf inhibitors - Plexxikon; PLX-FK1; PLX4720
Latest Information Update: 15 Apr 2016
At a glance
Originator Plexxikon
Developer OncoSec Medical; Plexxikon
Class Small molecules
Mechanism of Action Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 inhibitors; Macrophage colony stimulating factor receptor antagonists; Proto oncogene protein b raf inhibitors; Proto-oncogene protein b-raf modulators; Raf kinase inhibitors; Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 antagonists
Orphan Drug Status No
On Fast track No
New Molecular Entity Yes
Highest Development Phases
Preclinical Alzheimer's disease; Cancer; Inflammation; Malignant melanoma; Multiple sclerosis; Polycystic kidney disease
Most Recent Events
15 Apr 2016: Preclinical development for Multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease is ongoing in USA
18 Nov 2014: Plexxikon and OncoSec Medical enter into a preclinical collaboration to evaluate combination immunotherapy for Cancer, including malignant melanoma
18 Nov 2014: Preclinical trials in Malignant melanoma (Combination therapy) in USA (PO)
http://adisinsight.springer.com/drugs/800027882
Simply googling "OncoSec + Plexxikon" leads to this page in case anyone is curious.
ONCS, MRK – My musings on OncoSec's anonymous investor
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=126956110
- ONCS started their Keytruda combo investigator sponsored trial straight from phase 2 skipping phase 1
- They are filing registration trial application with the FDA while the above phase 2 IST is just midway
- Had late breaking oral presentation at SITC 2016
As a 3+ year investor myself, my intention was just the opposite, to give a reasonable basis for frustrated investors like myself to be patient for a little longer as they get closer to an official partnership. Can't argue though that they need to execute something sooner than later.
I appreciate your post. However the career path was not the only thing I highlighted. That would indeed be far fetched and desperate really. My post overall isn't far fetched IMO. It actually starts from why a VC fund wants its investment in ONCS to remain anonymous, which is very unlike VC funds.
Anyway, my post was a for what it's worth kind of conjecture so I welcome all points of view.
Fair point.
You are right that this could all be pure coincidence. I wanted to mention this in the post but forgot to include. Just musings I wanted to share in case any long time investors were getting close to leaving a promising company fearing another reverse split. Sometimes not everything is how it seems on the outside. Something very shiny on the outside can lead to failure sometimes, and vice versa.
I am not sure if MRL Venture Fund and Merck Research Venture Fund from link below are the same. Usually funds have distinct names.
http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=140891790
The first link only lists pre-IPO investment rounds it seems. ONCS went public in 2011. Anyway, like I said, it's just speculation. My hunch came after seeing David Meininger's LinkedIn profile closely. It could all be coincidence and nothing more. It is natural to ask however, who is the VC fund that has been investing $10M+ in ONCS in the last three years despite the market's pessimism with the stock, and what incentive does it have to remain secretive about its investment?
The second link is for the German Merck I believe so it's unrelated.
Perhaps, if it is indeed true that MRVF has been funding ONCS. If it is true, Dr. Pierce moving to consultant role, Meininger leaving after 10 months, share price pressure, etc. will all be moot points in the grand scheme of things. But we cannot say this with 100% confidence though, as this is just an "educated" speculation based on some reasonable clues.
Having said that, it is also very important to keep in mind, that say it is true, even so, it does not mean that the registration trial is guaranteed to succeed. It could still fail to meet endpoints and investors could lose money. Just something to keep in mind from a risk management perspective, which is critical in small cap biotech investing.
My musings on OncoSec’s mystery investor
OncoSec has raised close to $40M in cash from an institutional investor (“healthcare dedicated fund” as they call it) in exchange for stocks and warrants in the last three years:
June 2014: $16M
June 2015: $13.6M
May 2016: $10M
Total: $39.6M
Musing #1: Given the anonymity of the fund, is it reasonable to assume that this is a venture capital fund? I think so, because VC funds are not required to disclose their investments. If this fund were a hedge fund like Sabby or Ridgeback, we would have seen it listed on the institutional investors page on financial websites, but it is not.
If it is a VC fund, I find it odd that it wants to remain anonymous as VC funds like to list their investments to the public as doing so is generally in their best interest from a publicity and valuation standpoint. But OncoSec's VC investor wants to remain anonymous. Why so?
Musing #2: Sometimes VC fund employees sit on the boards of their investments. While this specifically has not been the case at OncoSec, there has been a person linked to a major biotech VC fund, in OncoSec's senior management. Earlier this year, he hopped on to another of this possible VC fund’s possible investments.
I am talking about David Meininger.
From his LinkedIn profile:
Allergan CEO expects drug industry to face pricing heat from Trump
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/allergan-ceo-expects-drug-industry-192220357.html
Cramer issues a warning on biotech stocks—there's new risk that you need to consider
http://cnb.cx/2fLYK4d
Merck's Keytruda snags second FDA 'priority' tag this week, this time in Hodgkin's
http://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/merck-s-keytruda-snags-second-fda-priority-tag-week-time-hodgkin-s
Yes, biotech stocks without products in the market are more like bets than investments.
Having said that, I really hope Heat's management has some plan to make things right for shareholders who are still in.
They have listed a partnership for registration trial as a 2017 milestone on their Analyst Day presentation. 2017 is only one month away if you think about it.
It's the same platform (ImPACT), with a different drug.
Bladder -> HS-410 -> vesigenurtacel-L
Lung -> HS-110 -> viagenpumatucel-L
I do not know how different these are scientifically but what I can guess is the Dec 6 data will very likely be unable to have any impact on share price as it's a tiny 8 person p1 trial. Why else did they raise cash today and not after data if the prospects were otherwise?
I see them rebooting the company with their ComPACT platform and redoing the trials from IND for HS-120. Continuing on ImPACT knowing its inferior to ComPACT would be a waste of time and resources, IMO.
I've been musing a lot lately myself. I'll share something interesting with everyone later tonight. Cheers Twiz :)
May get an update from the TNBC trial but it's a tiny p1 study and I don't expect it to move the needle at all. We will need partnership news or news of a Technology Access Program customer which should move the needle. When? No one knows.
Went against my own advice and picked up a 1000 shares.
9 mil shares warrants @ $1 per ST poster
On a slippery slope indeed. If one wants to add, late December might be a good time due to tax loss selling pressure. I might pick some up then.
Disappointed with the results. Shouldn't have ignored some red flags (creating a new subsidiary with a different focus just a month before data, not presenting data (getting accepted) at a major conference like ESMO or SITC, to name a few).
Lost trust in Heat's management after this, so I'm not sure how much to take this seriously - they have also mentioned in today's PR that they will be presenting on 12/6 a presentation at IASLC titled "Viagenpumatucel-L Bolsters Response to Nivolumab...in NSCLC."
Any thoughts Dew?
Philip Morris CEO looks toward phasing out cigarettes
http://cnb.cx/2gJwUBV
The abstract does not tell us the p value, CR (complete responses), any SAEs (serious adverse events), etc.
Just high level data from the abstract is public. That's what abstracts are for. There will be more in the full release.
Thanks sidslids!
We'll have to wait to find out. We should know in 24 hours :)
I also recall from Analyst Day Punit mentioning that they have sufficient cash to get the ball rolling on the registration trial. And whether you want to believe him or not, he did say quite a few times that they are looking to fund the registration trial from non-dilutive funding, although he did say he could not promise. Whatever the outcome, I do not expect a cash raise in December at least for the reason I mentioned in my previous post (tax loss selling).
With only a month left in the year, it would be silly to dilute in 2016 as it would create an avalanche of tax loss selling and they would not want to go below the $1 line and deal with NASDAQ compliance stuff and prospects of another R/S. They have a pattern of diluting in Q2/Q3. They are already done raising for 2016 IMO. As of July 2016 they have ~$27M of cash and equivalents. I expect them to raise in late Q1/Q2 of 2017. If they get a partner's stamp of confidence by then, no matter with how small a $ amount, they could dilute at a higher share price with fewer shares being issued.
Speaking of HTBX, I got in at $0.71 looking beyond its share price fluctuations (it had tanked as low as $0.44) and here we are. Hoping tomorrow will bring good news. Data on 12/6 as well at IASLC. Anyway, due to this, I continue to see beyond ONCS's current share price fluctuations as well. GLTA.
You mean Accelerated Approval for HS-410 phase 2? Heat already has Fast Track for it. Or you meant Fast Track in lung cancer?
http://www.heatbio.com/newsroom/press-releases/detail/444/heat-biologics-inc-receives-us-fda-fast-track-designation
HTBX +127% since Wednesday in anticipation of HS-410 phase 2 NMIBC data on 11/30. The trial has received Fast Track Status from the FDA.
HTBX also presenting HS-110 + Opdivo NSCLC phase 1b data at IASLC on December 6.
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=126839617
Me too. I know the SP is depressing but getting out just when they are close to licensing their tech or nearing partnership(s) doesn't make sense to me.
Not apples to apples by any means but JAZZ tanked below a dollar for some time before it went to where it is today. The people who thought it was done with just based on share price alone must not feel they made a wise decision back in the day.
I will not expect the SP to pop on every upcoming presentation going forward but I believe one of these days in the near future there could be a licensing agreement. Could be in a couple of months, could be in 6-12 months. GLTA!
Great post! Thanks for sharing.
For that we will need either one of these scenarios to occur:
i) Accelerated approval along with data (Fast Track status for HS-410 allows for it)
ii) Big pharma partnership with big upfront payment
iii) Buyout
Heat Biologics prices upsized IPO at $10, low end of the range
Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/heat-biologics-prices-upsized-ipo-at-10-low-end-of-the-range-cm260512#ixzz4RJteXdJU