Please correct me if I'm wrong. Publication in a major technical journal like NEJM or Lancet constitutes peer review. Before any publication is published it's been reviewed by an independent panel of experts. That panel may ask for changes, clarification, etc. but once the document is cleared to publish, it's considered peer reviewed. The same thing would be true if it were presented at a technical conference like ASCO.
Sort of true. The better language is that all articles published (or accepted) in any academic journal are peer reviewed. So when you read NEJM you know that all research papers are peer reviewed. There is no "panel" of reviewers" in the sense of a standing panel like an advisor board at FDA. Better to think of the reviewers as an ad hoc group who have agreed to do the review. Every paper will have different reviewers.
No. Papers at ASCO should not be considered peer reviewed. They are screened in some cases to make sure they are "worthy" of ASCO. But, this is not the same as formal peer review.
What's the importance of peer review? When a company completes a trial, the overall outcome can be discussed in the TLD which doesn't constitute being a technical presentation. The company traditionally doesn't present detailed information until that information is peer reviewed. If the clinicians in the trial are presenting the data, that constitutes peer review, even if it's not a complete presentation of the trial data. Once the clinician says something to an audience of their peers, the CEO or others from the company could repeat that information to investors, Institutions, etc.
No. TLD data is released before peer review and publication in the vast majority of cases. Yes companies do not talk about details of a study until peer reviewed. Think about it. Linda Powers is not really qualified to talk about the details of a scientific study. By details, I mean hard core technical issues.
I would be my belief that the company was first targeting for peer review from a presentation at SNO, it had to be cancelled because the data wasn't received from the contractors in time.
Again, peer review is a separate issue from a presentation. There is no way they cancelled because of any expectation of having a publication. Not enough time.
Now a journal presentation is logical as it would be months before the data could be presented at an appropriate technical conference. Most technical conferences have Abstracts due several months before the conference, in the case of ASCO in June, the Abstract is due in February. I do believe the company will want to present at ASCO, but they want to discuss the trial in depth before, so a Journal presentation is the answer.
Nothing is stopping them from presenting results at ASCO - nothing. Results are almost always presented at conferences before publication. Why should I attend a presentation, if I have the paper on my computer? Exceptions are extremely high impact journals as discussed here TOO MUCH. In my opinion this study will not end up in Lancet or NEJM. In 99.9% of all scientific research, results are presented at conferences before publication. I do this. It is great to get informal feedback before submitting. This is what hallways and bars are for.
If the Journal is telling the company, we'll consider making your trial our front page headline if you'll let us call the shots on TLD, etc. don't you think they're doing the right thing if they agree. I do. Remember, I said consider, not guarantee, I think being considered for the cover of NEJM or Lancet is sufficient to delay the issue of TLD a bit. Even if we don't get front page, being published will mean that the company can speak freely about what's been presented.
Being of the cover is not part of any consideration.
I believe that once the trial has been published we'll see L.P. making presentations from brokerage held investors conferences, at conferences where many Institutions will be represented. Networks may interview the clinicians and patients as well as key people from the company. My point is, you'll be hearing about DCVax-L from all sort of sources, what do you think that will do for stock price.
All true, assuming the results are good.
Gary
