Replies to post #360 on Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc fka ARIA

[DonShimoda]

As far "palifosfamide + doxorubicin", having "longer PFS and improved patient stability", wasn't this what Ridaforolimus was originally for?

Uhmm, no, ridaforolimus is designed to be used in a maintenance setting. I would point out that the official title of the SUCCEED trial is "A Pivotal Trial to Determine the Efficacy and Safety of AP23573 When Administered as MAINTENANCE THERAPY(my emphasis) to Patients With Metastatic Soft-Tissue or Bone Sarcomas"

So what you're saying is if the ZIOP study shows greater efficacy in the maintainence setting, than the SUCCEED trial, this will somehow help Ariad?

Well, considering palifosfamide is not administered in a maintenance setting, your question doesn't make any sense. Palifosfamide is administered intravenously over 21 days in combination with chemo treatments while ridaforolimus will be administered to pts over hopefully many months in between chemo treatments. Despite your characterization that Ariad is somehow hurt by palifosfamide potential success, the reality is quite the opposite. If pts survive longer after taking palifosfamide then they'll likely end up taking rida for longer periods as well.

so, now, they are stuck with a single-agent mTOR in Phase 3 which is a lot less likely to work than with a combination

Please feel free to point me to any Phase 3 studies in sarcoma that back up your claim.