Replies to post #128058 on Biotech Values

[BTH]

Johnson & Johnson's more-convenient and faster-acting Zytiga treatment

This says it all and what I have said earlier.

It is much easier for a doctor to write a script for a pill than it is to "understand" the whole Provenge process.

[turtlepower]

Zytiga is prescribed for patients who have undergone treatment with docetaxel. Provenge is intended to be used before chemo (doecetaxal). So how accurate is this article? If patients prefer another alternative to provenge then it should be chemo. Or are doctors prescribing it off label for patients prior to chemo therapy?

[jq1234]

The drug, known by its chemical name abiraterone, also prolonged life by about four months in clinical trials. But patients experience symptom relief far sooner with it than with Provenge, said Slovin, who was interviewed at the conference sponsored by strategy consulting firm MD Becker Partners LLC.

There are several inaccuracies in the story. Above is one. Provenge is approved "for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castrate resistant (hormone refractory) prostate cancer." Those patients seeking symptom relief, as Dr. Slovin said, "Pain is markedly improved, along with the ability to eat, drink, go out and do what they normally would do." are not candidates for Provenge anyway. It just shows someone like her even doesn't know exactly what Provenge is approved for. For what she described, Zytiga took from both docetaxel and cabazitaxel.

So, taking that part out, the story essentially left with:

1. Original expectation of Provenge taking some of these off-label use isn't going to happen, these had gone to Zytiga. 2. Provenge is inconvinient which is true. 3. The expectation for Provenge was too high which is also true.

[iwfal]

DNDN

Does anyone on this board still think DNDN’s only problem is that the “cost density” of Provenge is impeding reimbursement?

I don't know that ANYONE on this board (the frequent posters) thought that cost density was the ONLY problem. Only that you were jumping to conclusions in leaning too much the other way.

[pharmaclown35]

No, I think there are a lot of reasons adding to this. One of the most interesting ones being that patients don't want to wait around for a couple of weeks - if not months in some cases - before they can show a response. With Zytiga, I believe it either works or it doesn't - and the physician and patient know a lot quicker. Putting yourself in the mindset of the patient who wants immediate results. I don't know if I want to wait around to see whether provenge affects my PSA levels. I would want immediate results, or switch to another therapy. It's going to be tough for physicians to convince patients to adopt a 'wait and see' approach. just my 2 cents.

[mcbio]

Gulley is leading clinical trials of an experimental vaccine to treat prostate cancer that could be taken out of the freezer and injected into patients -- eliminating the hassles seen with Provenge. The National Cancer Institute developed the vaccine, called ProstVac, and licensed it to Danish biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic . NCI would be entitled to royalties on sales of the vaccine, which is slated to move into late-stage trials in coming weeks.

Gulley said ProstVac prolonged patient lives by eight months in mid-stage trials -- roughly twice the benefit seen in separate trials of Provenge and Zytiga. But he cautioned that ProstVac's true potential will not be known until its far-larger planned Phase III trials are completed. He said the vaccine, which coaxes immune system T-cells to attack a protein called Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) -- could prove to be a bigger drug than Provenge.

"Here's why: because it is off the shelf. There are no logistical constraints."

I missed this post from before and just came across the name Bavarian Nordic today. Seems kind of like an interesting little company. They have shares that trade on the Pink Sheets under 'BVNKF.PK'. Market cap is about ~$200M if Yahoo is anywhere near accurate. And here's a link to their Web site and pipeline: http://www.bavarian-nordic.com/pipeline.aspx . Does it add a degree of confidence to the drug's chances that the NCI itself apparently developed it?