Replies to post #86488 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Your ACHN notes on the timing of news flow are already in #msg-43710831. (I too listened to today’s webcast :- ))

[DewDiligence]

ACHN:

…presumably that means disseminating top-line data at the JPM conference in January. Management did issue a caveat that there could be a slight delay if they decide to add an additional cohort to the Phase 1b trial. I didn't get the impression that they actually intended to do this additional cohort though.

If the results are good, I think ACHN will find a way to release the top-line data at the JPM conference—even if they do decide to run another dosing cohort. The corollary is that not releasing at least some top-line data at JPM ought to be interpreted as a negative signal.

[DewDiligence]

ACH-1625 vs TMC435:

…in looking at potential disadvantages of HCV PIs ahead of ACH-1625, management noted that TMC435 compares most favorably to ACH-1625 but a presentation slide implies that TMC435 causes bilirubin elevation and has potential phototoxicity issues. Do you or anyone know if this is accurate?

The claim about elevated bilirubin is true (see below). You probably noticed that ACHN’s webcast slide citing the differentiating features of TMC435 had a question mark after the word phototoxicity, which presumably means that this is not a claim by ACHN, but rather is just speculation.

From Medivir’s TMC435 PR at the 2009 AASLD (#msg-43361309):

Four out of five patients completed triple therapy to Day 28, where one patient discontinued treatment after 14 days due to an increase in serum bilirubin (grade 4). This patient already had elevated bilirubin (direct and indirect) levels at study entry. Bilirubin levels decreased after treatment discontinuation and there were no increases in alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase.

[turtlepower]

ACHN - Achillion Announces Positive Preliminary Phase 1b Proof of Concept Data With ACH-1625 to Treat Hepatitis C

You are on a roll mcbio.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Achillion-Announces-Positive-pz-3012910255.html?x=0&.v=1