Biotech Values

[biomaven0]

Looking at your Erbitux link, the one trial (Crystal) showed only a very marginally worse outcome in the "wrong" (mutant KRAS) population, while the other trial (OPUS) does show harm. But given the drug is being given on top of active therapy, it is still unclear whether the worse outcome may not be the result of the additional tox issues causing more morbidity and/or FOLFIRI dose reductions and interruptions. To try to answer that question, you'd have to compare dose intensity and side effects in the two arms.

I don't disagree that you are causing harm when you give the drug to subgroups where the drug is ineffective, but I'm still not sure whether its because the drug is actually encouraging tumor growth or not.

Peter