Biotech Values

[Double_Bagel]

If this CNN story is true, traders playing the Ebola scare by buying Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TKMR) picked the wrong horse. Mapp Biopharmaceuticals, a privately held drug company in San Diego, might already have an effective therapy against the deadly virus racing through Africa.

CNN is reporting that the two U.S. aid workers infected with Ebola were treated -- and their lives saved while still in Africa -- with an experimental drug known as ZMapp developed by Mapp Biopharma. The drug had never been tried on humans before but had shown promise in animal studies, CNN reports.

Hmm! What does this mean for TKMR? Looks like somebody with no trials jumped ahead of TKMR? Maybe the fact that TKMR is a canadian company is hurting them. Also, maybe they have been too conservative / timid? Looks like Mapp just grabbed the opportunity while TKMR didn't. But can the ZMapp product be used on a larger population without any trials for safety?

http://timesofsandiego.com/business/2014/08/04/local-biotech-increasing-production-zmapp-ebola-drug/

San Diego-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical on Monday identified the drug used to treat two Americans with Ebola as “ZMapp” and said it is working with commercial and government partners to quickly increase production.

“We are in the midst of an intense effort to help address the Ebola outbreak in West Africa,” said Mapp’s president, Larry Zeitlin, in an email message to Times of San Diego.

I am guessing that with Ebola still in the news (Possible NYC case, 2nd Nigerian case etc.) there will still be a lot of pressure on the FDA to release the clinical hold.