Replies to post #188499 on Biotech Values

[biotech jim]

I would also add, as I stated in that post, the Chair of the Board Les Iversen (and other BOD members) should be part of the blame as well. Note that BOD member Steve Biggar is a Baker Bros principle. He is a long time colleague of Felix Baker and he should have known better. I also said something about biologists thinking they are in charge there, as in not having the right expertise for an NDA at the right time.

[GrthzGd]

Daniel Vasella's account of launch of Gleevec offers a sometimes gripping account of the blocking and tackling behind any new drug launch. Novartis actually put in a huge effort, with heroic contributions from a less used facility in Ireland, to design and manufacture a sufficient number of doses so for the Leukemia patients whom they predicted would be clamoring for the drug immediately upon FDA approval.

Similarly, there must a great deal of work going on to design and make Nuplazid. Since there seems to be a huge amount of pent up demand for the drug from untreated PD (and AD) sufferers, it makes sense to me that Acadia would not want to blow the launch by having an insufficient amount of, or no, doses available upon approval.

So...the burn rate for the December quarter was $~30M, against cash of $260M. Unless the burn increases significantly, that would seem to me to represent a sufficient amount of cash to carry them to launch without further dilution.