Replies to post #71824 on Biotech Values

[dewophile]

hcv, inf and svr

thomas - i agree with you if the virus is undetectable 6 months post tx (svr) then it is likely to remain so regardless of the regimen used in the overwhelming majority of individuals. but there is some (albeit minute) relapse rate beyond 6 months. it's a valid question then if this minute later relapse rate will change at all, and if so in any meaningful way, if that SVR was achieved without any immunomodulator.

"The scientific community does not even know yet if the virus is completely eradicated or simply held in check at an undetectable assay level"

i think there is pretty convincing evidence that it is held in check rather than eradicated. it may not be such a moot point if one withdraws immune modulating agents from the tx regimen

"Additionally, how would you account for the non-IFN drugs working as a monotherapy? That isn't exactly the same immune system hyperdrive achieved via INF, eh?"

not sure i understand your point. and inf as you knwo is a direct acting agent in addition to (probably) an immunomodulator

[iwfal]

The scientific community does not even know yet if the virus is completely eradicated or simply held in check at an undetectable assay level. (I believe it is eradicated, but, that is irrelevant for this exercise.)

How is it irrelevant? It is, in fact, one of the two key points. I believe there is very compelling data that it is not irradicated - and thus the only mechanism for control is if the immune system recognizes it. It isn't clear that just lowering the viral load will get the same immune system recognition that using ifn will get.

Additionally, how would you account for the non-IFN drugs working as a monotherapy?

You must be posting backwards in time - there are no large non-ifn monotherapy trial results in 2009. All of them have either concurrent ifn or subsequent ifn at this point.