Replies to post #37156 on Biotech Values

[gofishmarko]

>> What’s true for a retrovirus may not be true for a flavivirus :-) <<

Let's hope so. Let's also hope that what's true for a replicon isn't true for a human , in this particular case anyway.

I think the failure of the ribavirin/NM-283 combo is already baked into the price of IDIX , so unexpectedly good results in the current drug/drug-interaction study could give a major boost to SP , IMO. The big price decline beginning in March corresponds very well to when this replicon data would have been floating around , and I think NM-283 is now considered guilty until proven innocent. They also need the efficacy boost of a synergy with riba to get numbers that would excite people like the VX-950 data does.

Unfortunately , the replicon system seems to have a pretty good record in these types of studies , in spite of some serious limitations. I'd feel a lot better about the situation if the replicon had shown that NM-283 interferes with riba's (modest) direct antiviral activity , instead of the other way around.

[dewophile]

absolutely
and what is suggested in vitro may not translate in vivo
and even though drugs may interact in terms of bioactivity when given concurrently, doesn't mean thay can't be given sequentially (like vx-950 prove trial)
and does rib interaction even matter given that peg-nm283 alone has shown superior results to peg-rib in phase II
still many unanswered questions
Of note..seems that the current interaction study is more of a pk rather than pd study based on what i heard in the question/answer session of today's webcast (i was focusing more on efficacy). given the renal excretion of nm-283 it's almost certain not to interact with rib metabolism, and therefore there will almost definitely be a triple therapy arm in phase III to assess efficacy from what i gather