Replies to post #21027 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Welcome to the board, David. You present a good argument against Torcetrapib. However, PFE is spending more money on the Torcetrapib development program—by a wide margin—than any company has ever spent to develop any drug. If it fails, it will be perhaps the most colossal failure in the history of Big Pharma.

In short, I don’t think I would want to bet against PFE in this regard. Regards, Dew

p.s. I’m not sure I agree that only practitioners under the tutelage of Dr Nissen are qualified to perform IVUS. Rather, I think IVUS has become a mainstream procedure on account of its common use in clinical trials to evaluate drug-eluting stents.

[urche]

Re:Torcetrapib combo, Esperion, and Pfizer

David, Your insights here are much appreciated. I suspect you are exactly right about your assesment that Torcetrapib may end up being a Pyrrhic victory for Pfizer. It may end up approved but unpopular because of the negative sentiment of prescribing physicians being forced to consider a combo drug. It may also end up approved for IVUS results that don't mean much in clinical terms.

I wonder what you think was the motive for Pfizer buying ESPR. It hardly seems a smart business decision to buy a promising company run by admired people and mothball it. I called some unnamed scientist at ESPR just after the purchase was announced to see if the employees shared my euphoria as a small time shareholder. At that time he expected ESPR would continue functioning largely autonomously in a promise exacted from Pfizer. I suspect that man is now deeply disappointed. What do you make of that purchase by Pfizer?

urche

[jellybean]

Thank-you for that review. It is always a nice to see comments from someone who knows the science. Do you know if the clinical trials for the oral version of the Esperion drug been completely halted?

Are you willing to comment on the Agix drug?