GTC Biotherapeutics (fka GTCB)

[DewDiligence]

>What is behind your (hopefully correct) supposition that this agent [MM-093] should be safer than Enbrel et. al.?

I didn’t say that MM-093 is safer than Enbrel, although it may be; what I said in #1825 is that MM-093 is safer than Rituxan, which is the emerging treatment option for patients who fail to respond to the TNF-a drugs (Remicade, Enbrel, and Humira).

Why do I think MM-093 is safer than Rituxan? Because Rituxan, a blockbuster drug for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, works by essentially flushing out the immune system and starting over. It thus leaves a window of vulnerability until new B-cells come online, which is acceptable when a patient is fighting cancer but less easily justified in a disease such as RA.

Regarding the TMF-a drugs: Remicade, Enbrel, and Humira are together racking up sales of about $6B a year (!) but approximately half of the patients who use these drugs for RA do not benefit. Thus, there is a very large unmet need for a safe and effective treatment for these patients.