Replies to post #1151 on Idenix Pharmaceuticals (IDIX)

[DewDiligence]

Re: HBV arena

>Analyst Bret Holley of CIBC World Markets acknowledged in a research report that comparing drugs across trials is tough, but he wrote that Viread's efficacy looks "as good or better" than marketed HBV drugs, including Baraclude, Epivir (lamivudine, GlaxoSmithKline plc), and Tyzeka (telbivudine, Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc.).<

True for Lamivudine; not true for Baraclude; not true for Tyzeka.

As noted in #msg-20244553, I think Viread will mostly take share from Hepsera, which I refer to as Viread Lite (#msg-20250616).

>Viread will not take much away from Hepsera, since patients who are stable on the latter drug will stay with it, and Gilead will aim for new HBV patients with Viread, in Holley's view.<

True in the short run, but Hepsera’s days as a SoC treatment for HBV are numbered and the number is not especially large, IMO.

>“Hepsera has been losing market share to New York-based Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Baraclude (entecavir), approved in March 2005, and Gilead is using Viread to shore up the HBV part of the business,” [Punk Ziegel’s Sharon Seiler] said.<

This is on target.