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ImaPseudonym

07/26/14 9:42 AM

#12301 RE: JTHawk #12300

I will also be curious to hear more from E'man when he gets a chance, but a couple things that it might be useful to know about p2 --> p3 trials.

A p2 trial is not really about achieving statistically significant effiacy data. Generally, p2 studies are smaller (to save money) and stat sig is largely about having a large enough sample size to rule out luck. What you are really looking for in a p2 is a sign that there is efficacy (of a sort that would be worth developing a new drug for) and safety.

The FDA does not require that a p2 be statistically significant in order to run a p3. While I haven't done massive reviews of study numbers, I would bet that most p2 studies that go to p3 did not have statistically significant results.

For those who don't know, when a study is reported with a p-value of <.025 that is saying that there is less than a 2.5% chance that vgx-3100 is a placebo and its apparent efficacy was the result of luck alone. If the p-value had come in at .06 (6% chance results were due to luck) it would not have met the standard for statistical significance but it would still be a pretty safe bet that the results would not mere chance. In a p3, the FDA requires that you meet the stat sig threshold in order to approve the drug, but you are way more likely to meet the standard when you work with a larger trial size.

Keeping that in mind, I have absolutely no doubt that INO is takign vgx-3100 to phase 3. There has been some speculation that in conversations with the FDA they will be permitted to add an adjuvant (IL-12 or IL-33) in the phase 3 which should further improve the results. I don't know for sure whether they will end up doing that, and I have no idea whether they will partner for the phase 3 or not, or whether they end up with even better data in a predetermined subset and so narrow the inclusion criteria for p3, but they will be going to p3 and it looks like it won't have to be a huge trial in order to be reasonably sure of hitting stat sig.
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Spareinvestor

07/26/14 10:36 AM

#12302 RE: JTHawk #12300

I am not eman but 100% chance that VGX-3100 goes P3....actually 150% chance. Lol terrible question.
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Everywhereman

07/28/14 4:31 PM

#12311 RE: JTHawk #12300

Mostly the scientists were very impressed. I personally talked to two nay sayers, who kept saying they needed to see the complete data.

As far as I can tell, their specific concerns were addressed in the data. I will go into more detail when I have a real keyboard to use.