Biotech Values

[DonShimoda]

Being non-ATP competitive, I'm hoping tivantinibs' more specific targeting will result in fewer side effects thus making it a good candidate for potential combination in indications where MET over-expression is a possible predictive biomarker. While it was a small study (n=20) the sorafenib combination trial in HCC indicates this approach may meet with success. In front-line HCC, sorafenib has historically achieved around a 2-3% response rate, however, in the tivantinib+sorafenib trial the ORR improved to 10% (even though 40% of pts failed a prior VEGF inhibitor (6 sorafenib; 1 sunitinib; 1 sorafenib plus sunitinib)). The DCR also improved to 70% in the combo trial as compared to the 43% achieved by sorafenib alone in the SHARP trial.

fwiw, I don't view XL184 as necessarily competitive with tivantinb as a stand-alone agent...the question is how it'll stack up vs a VEGF+Tivantinb combination therapy in various settings.