Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

PFE’s Filibuvir, an HCV non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor that binds to the “thumb” site on the polymerase, is listed in PFE’s latest pipeline chart in #msg-54886720. I had had my doubts about this program insofar as PFE never talks about it and there are no plans (as far as I know) to test Filibuvir with any other direct-acting antiviral.

According to clinicaltrials.gov, a 288-patient phase-2 trial testing SoC± Filibuvir started in Nov 2009, has 78 trial sites, and is still recruiting patients at most of the sites:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00987337

288/78 = an average of 3.7 patients per trial site when the trial is fully enrolled. Even allowing for the staggered opening of trial sites, for this trial to still be recruiting patients at most sites after ten months suggests tepid interest in the trial by patients and clinicians.