Replies to post #84864 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

mcbio et al: I don’t take SCLN’s HCV program seriously. Here’s the relevant text from the PR you cited:

SCV-07 demonstrated activity in some treated patients in the higher dosage groups, and the decrease in viral load in these patients was accompanied by an increase in an immunological biomarker [which one?] which is usually correlated with response against HCV.

Too many waffle words here to infer much of anything. The description sounds like something PPHM might have written.

[DewDiligence]

SCLN Cuts Workforce

[As mentioned in #msg-42403696, I think SCLN’s HCV program is about as serious as PPHM’s, and that’s not a compliment.]

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idCNBNG9279720091028

›Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:19am EDT

Oct 28 (Reuters) - Drugmaker SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc (SCLN) said it would cut about 17 percent of its U.S.-based jobs, mostly in research and development, following its decision to drop the development of its cancer drug earlier this month.

On Oct. 2, the company said it discontinued the development of its experimental pancreatic cancer drug after a recommendation by a data safety monitoring committee.

SciClone said it expects to record a charge of about $0.3 million, which includes severance and other expenses associated with the workforce reduction.

The restructuring is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter, the company said in a statement.

The company has lately come to prominence as it is trying to get its hepatitis B treatment Zadaxin to show that it can boost the effectiveness of H1N1 flu vaccines now being developed by other companies.

SciClone sells Zadaxin, a drug approved in China and other overseas markets, to treat hepatitis B infections and to boost the immune systems of other patients, including those with liver cancer.‹