Avid Bioservices Inc (CDMO)

[RRdog]

A general comment on the Roche bid for ANDS:

IMO it seems that Roche wants to place bets all over the HCV roulette board before they spin the wheel. PPHM and Bavi have to be definitely in their sites. (Garnick is not at PPHM by chance.)

The ANDS bid was made shortly after the release of ANDS trial data released on 10/13/11. This data is based on the same 12 week EVR cycle that PPHM is currently embarked on and the ANDS trial was in combo with Ribavarin and Peg Interferon. The ANDS drug Setrobuvir exhibited high amounts of "rash" in many patients probably due to the interferon component.

If the PPHM 12 week cycle data which should be released by Jan 2012 is relevant, PPHM should be of interest to Roche and others because it does not use interferon. Roche, specifically, is in partnerships in many areas of HCV, so I would definitely not rule them out. Roche could even license Bavi from PPHM to use in combo studies with ANDS to try and eliminate need for Bavi.

This would jibe with SK comments about being very interested in licensing the viral area.

Best Regards,
RRdog