Biotech Values

[vinmantoo]

Provenge is not the first cancer vaccine and it is not a paradigm shift. It is the first anti-cancer vaccine to be approved, and despite the pumping, its results with regards to overall survival were not that dramatic when compared to taxotere ( ~ 4 months vs 3 months survival advantage).

Provenge does seem to have less side-effects, but it is still puzzling to many how it can show a small increase in survival when it doesn't shrink the tumors. This may be something unexpected for anti-cancer vaccines in general or Provenge specifically, but it could also be a sign that the trial results showing the 4 moth increased survival compared to placebo were a statistical aberration. This will play out as more patients get treated with Provenge.