Replies to post #2090 on Enanta Pharmaceuticals Inc (ENTA)

[willyw]

"We believe core inhibitors will be an important component of a successful combination regimen, and we will look to advance our HBV program with additional mechanisms from internal discovery efforts, external opportunities, or both."

Enanta could couple with another competitor's destabilizer, or they may have one being worked on. Luly has been asked a few times; what if the de-stabilizer still isn't enough? So I am sure they have considered this and have been working on follow on compounds to ensure they have a solid HBV program.

It also struck me as a deficit at first, but what IF there was a compound that Enanta could team up with? Instead of EDP 514 having to wait for a preclinical unknown they might be able to work out a functional cure and get to market a year or two sooner.

Both Pfizer and Merck are going to make a lot of money in the next few years with covid drugs that probably aren't the pinnacle- but they will be the first.


IF it were so- hypothetically that Enanta could team up with JNJ- purely a hypothetical- they could get to market way sooner and have a partner to make the international market successful.
JNJ does have a decent compound that reduces surface antigen.
http://www.infohep.org/JNJ-3989-achieves-sustained-reductions-in-hepatitis-B-surface-antigen/page/3549033/
Could JNJ-3989 + EDP 514 + a nuke work?

The JNJ and ENTA compounds are both in Phase 2a so approval- if they did work- would come sooner than with Enta's discontinued preclinical EDP-721.

It would be great to have a wholly owned HBV program but it may be just as great to be part the first, and to have a partner to bring it to market worldwide.

In the meanwhile they could develop a few new compounds that could be teamed with EDP- 514 or other HBV assets.
At least we won't have long to wait till the earnings report on monday.

[vinmantoo]

They already completed a phase-1b combination trial of EDP-514 with a nuc (the trial that enrolled “viremic” patients) without any problems, so I presume they will advance the combination to phase-2.

That is what I figured.

Looks like I was wrong about, “pretty modest.”

No problem. Perhaps this kind of drop isn't so surprising as it was the first bit of bad news for ENTA. Still, this could represent a buying opportunity, especially if ENTA soon announces they are starting a phase II with EDP-514 + a nuc.

As far as Willyw's point, getting first is important and that is what EDP-514 + a nuc can do. ENTA can follow up with another drug that attacks a different aspect of the HepB viral lifecycle and combine it with EDP-514 + a nuc later.