Zeev's Turnips Patch-No Politics (ZEEV)

[From the East Bay]

Adam Feuerstein
10/07/03 09:05 AM EDT

Looks like Regeneron Pharmaceutical's (REGN-Nasdaq) rheumatoid arthritis drug, IL-1 Trap performed with mixed results
in its phase II study. As I detailed in a column last week last week, we wanted to see IL-1 Trap outperform Amgen's Kineret
in a key ACR 20 score, which it did. But IL-1 Trap, at least at these doses, doesn't seem competitive with the best
rheumatoid arthrititis drugs currently on the market -- Abbott's Humira, or Amgen's Enbrel. Also, 46% of patients taking the
highest dose of IL-1 Trap achieved an ACR 20 score, but that wasn't a statistically significant increase over the 31% of
placebo patients who also hit ACR 20. Regeneron is holding a conference call later this morning, but it looks as if the
company will need to investigate higher doses of IL-1 Trap.