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Replies to #19153 on Biotech Values
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gfp927z

11/27/05 11:03 PM

#19165 RE: DewDiligence #19153

Quiz - The software industry would be one possibility. A less obvious guess might be the extremely profitable porn industry - just a guess though.

Concerning EPIX - as I understand it, what appears to have happened is that the FDA had agreed to the Phase 3 trial design years ago, with enhanced MRA using Vasovist going against unenhanced MRA (which should have been an easy slam dunk). However, in the intervening years there's been a change in leadership/personnel at that division of the FDA, and now they've changed the rules and want a more stringent comparison. Another possibility is that the agency has an ax to grind with Epix or their partner Schering for some reason, or perhaps the FDA fears that the widespread use of enhanced MRA will help further bankrupt the Medicare system cost-wise. Either way, Epix is getting the shaft big time, and doctors and patients in the US will be denied a very useful new technology for no good reason. In addition to being a breakthrough diagnostic tool for vascular peripheral problems, Vasovist holds tremendous promise for early cancer detection (especially breast cancer) since it allows visualization of the vasculature surrounding early stage tumors.
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DewDiligence

11/28/05 4:28 PM

#19255 RE: DewDiligence #19153

Re: Quiz

The answer was lurking at the very bottom of the WSJ story referenced in #msg-8645660:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113296104047706885.html

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In 2004, drug making ranked as the third-most-profitable industry, with a 16% profit margin. Mining and crude-oil production ranked first, and commercial banks ranked second. The median profit margin for all Fortune 500 companies was about 5% of net revenue in 2004.
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Biowatch guessed the bank answer.