Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

ACHN:

The first trials for elvucitabine will be focused on HBV. HBV market in China is north of 100 million infected patients. Hepsera and Baraclude have not fared well in China but elvucitabine has an extended half-life of over 100 hours, which ACHN believes will give it a significant dosing advantage over the competition.

There’s more than a modicum of propaganda here. The reason Hepsera has not sold well in China is because there are about a dozen knockoff drugs on the market. I.e. China does not uphold GILD/GSK’s IP sufficiently to prevent an array of pseudo generics from stealing Hepsera’s business.

Elvucitabine will (IMO) never amount to anything of consequence commercially—in China or elsewhere.