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.
[OT] Cybersecurity
OT
Having an iHub subscription (and pay them the additional premium on top just to turn adds off), is only good for this web site, while installing a free extension to my browser gets the job done for every web page. I think I'll stick with the ad-blocker, donate the subscription money to the extension developer, and use the time resulting from slower performance to look at the other screen :)
OT, perhaps.
On iHub new look
Using Chrome with extension such as AdBlock+ Element Hiding Helper, is an easy way to get rid of the useless clutter.
Hi M, nice to see a friendly follower of the Israel-Medical-Healthcare such as yourself
I sold the remaining of my Bioline shares when the stock jumped (unjustifiably imo on the HCV program) earlier this year and have not followed closely since, and anyway the Celiac Disease program is just entering the clinic.
Ahalan Dovi MATOK
I'm still in Can-Fite. Always liked the team and science and think they have a decent shot at several goals.
Simprevir Q80K resistant variant
Simeprevir/sofosbuvir +/- Riba interim data of the COSMOS Study
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/medivir-announces-interim-results-cohort-071100418.html
RDHL
If memory serves, Peter mentioned them indirectly when he posted on a thin film formulation of rizatriptan, an anti-migraine drug they partner with IGXT or perhaps about Maxalt.
PSTI
Big players in the LAMA/LABA fixed-dose combinations I'm aware of are: GSK, NVS, FRX, AZN and B-I.
GSK's anoro should be the first-to-market in the US, about a year ahead of NVS's QVA149. NVS should be first in EU, but GSK is very close behind.
Except for timing, GSK/THRX highlighted another advantage - triple (LAMA/LABA/steroid) delivery with their device. A single device with once daily dosing (FRX twice daily could still be a better choice for patients requiring a second dose before bedtime), may provide a significant advantage, potentially improving adherence and patient outcomes. However, FRX's Pressair, NVS's Breezhaler and GSK's Ellipta, all belong to the same type of delivery device (dry powder inhaler), so I presume that triple delivery could work with all of them (AZN/Pearl’s and B-I's devices are of a different type).
All in all, it's a big market and FRX should be able to capture a few hundred M piece even as a minor player.
Re: B-I’s HCV regimens
These data (Zeuzem et al.) were presented at AASLD 2012 last November. Notable points are: at least 16 weeks treatment, need for Ribavirin, poor efficacy in GT1a (that's why they added PPI-668 to the regimen), breakthrough and relapse.
http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com/news_events/press_releases/press_release_archive/2012/11-10-12-phase-2b-data-boehringer-ingelheims-interferon-free-hepatitis-c-treatment-viral-cure-treatment-naive-patients.html
They are testing faldaprevir + deleobuvir +/- Riba in GT1b in two phase III trials and with PPI-668 in GT1a in phase II.
LAMA/LABA combinations
Jon Congleton comment on Copaxone prescriptions: "we've seen so far in the first half of the year, our TRXs, our units, with Copaxone are very stable."
Think there was another hike of 5% few months later.
I assumed so cause of price hike.
Teva's CEO said they are prepared with aggressive launch of 3x week Copaxone if approved by FDA in 2014.
2Q13 US Copaxone sales reported by Teva were $817M (still stable despite of Tecfidera).
VRTX/VX-135
It is an apples-to-apples comparison in the sense of trial design of nuke + ribavirin for 12 weeks dosing in GT1 patients. There were probably differences between patient populations, but RVR can give a better parameter to compare efficacy than PK, as VRTX tried to sell on their CC. So, VX-135 would seem to be a weaker nuke than sofosbuvir and yes it could still work out in a stronger combo but unlikely in shorter dosing period of time.
Right now what they have is low dose VX-135 in combination with BMS' daclatasvir and this could perhaps compete with GILD's combo in 12 weeks treatment but very unlikely a shorter one.
Thanks for the reply. Every three months is good enough imo.
PERRIGO COMPANY TO ACQUIRE ELAN CORPORATION, PLC FOR $8.6B
"Elan shareholders to receive US$6.25 in cash and 0.07636 shares of New Perrigo for each Elan share, valuing each Elan share at US$16.50 based on the closing price per Perrigo share on 26 July 2013"
http://maya.tase.co.il/bursa/report.asp?report_cd=832882-00&CompCd=1233&Type=Pdf
Teva’s thrice-weekly Copaxone
The UBS analyst (Marc Goodman) also noted as we did (#msg-80403825) that if Copaxone generics enter the market in May 2014, Teva will not have time to switch patients to the thrice-weekly version.
Copaxone is indeed a lot less effective but on the other hand quite safe, and unfortunately as long as there is no cure for MS, even weaker agents will still have a decent place in treatment arsenal, although will defiantly lose market share.
Recall DEFINE Data showed 94% reduction in the mean number of gadolinium enhancing lesions over 2 years compared to placebo, and by 74% in the CONFRIM study. So I hope and wish your wife the very best effect with Tecfidera. A question if it's ok with you: after the initial blood work and while on the drug, how often should your wife be checked for lymphopenia? I'm asking because I would be testing more often than once a year as the FDA guided, in JCV+ Tysabri switchers.
Re: Musings on Copaxone’s US market share
His figures sound real. I expect the initial negative impact on Copaxon's sales from Tecfidera's extra-forte strong launch to slow (my guess is that NRx is already up a bit from 25%). To what degree depends on how well patients will do on Tecfidera in the long run.
2Q13 Eliquis sales just $12M.
Do you know when and why has Dr. Ashley Bush left Prana?
PLX
On Enbrel - before attending PLX analyst day, I took another look at patent #8,063,182 and I'm quite certain the only possible way around it for PLX is with oral delivery. I later have asked their CEO if so, and from his answer I got the impression they will not go on with IV Enbrel.
On inhaled recombinant AAT - I have asked about the strategy to break KMDA's potential orphan exclusivity and the answer is as put by ghmm "being a recombinant product would convey some safety benefits" over the human plasma derived product. As discussed here before, I don't think this will work and I'm not even sure PLX will go on with this program if KMDA is successful in its clinical trial.