BlackRock doubled its MNTA stake to 5,416,983 shares at 12/31/13, a 10.4% stake, from its prior holding of 2,673,622 shares (#msg-93663366); a Form 13G was filed today:
[Updates: 2014-2015 news flow; GDUFA regs suggest FDA response to Copaxone ANDA before 5/24/14; musings on Mylan’s Copaxone ANDA from JPM 2014; BAX passes on third FoB compound—MNTA to develop on own; hiring of executive to lead FoB program; guesses on identities of first two FoB compounds in BAX collaboration; AnaptysBio collaboration; latest legal machinations in Lovenox patent case; table of major shareholders (updated for BlackRock addition); recent patent applications and overview of IP estate.]
CORPORATE AND FINANCIAL
What is MNTA’s business all about? #msg-93738035 Transcript of 3Q13 conference call (11/5/13) #msg-73905464The Deal interviews Craig Wheeler on FoB’s #msg-62559655 FDA official cites MNTA in discussion of FoB pathways #msg-49883723 MNTA is a beneficiary of US FoB legislation #msg-26837144 Momenta’s mantra on biogenerics #msg-28748329 MNTA helps FDA solve contaminated-heparin problem
Valuation and finances #msg-93720263 3Q13 financial results #msg-937202639/30/13 cash=$297M; annualized burn=$80-90M #msg-95157732 $19M milestone payments expected from BAX in 2014 #msg-76922372 Diluted share count for valuation purposes #msg-88706198 Summary of UBS report on MNTA valuation (6/6/13) #msg-72178468 Potential Copaxone milestones from NVS are ~$115M #msg-87412567 Estimated NPV of MNTA’s Lovenox royalty stream #msg-77977706 MNTA’s NOL’s are no longer a significant asset #msg-47147018 No legal impediments to a buyout #msg-83696645 Biotech partnerships often lead to buyout bids
Management, BoD, and major shareholders #msg-87125406 Composition of Board of Directors #msg-91570868Insider shareholdings and options #msg-61651527 Officers’ restricted stock vests on Copaxone approval #msg-96182431Major shareholders
#msg-94898356 Michael Franken named head of FoB program (12/13) #msg-58383722 Young Kwon named VP, Business Development (1/11) #msg-38633640 Bruce Downey, ex-CEO of Barr Labs, joins BoD (6/09) #msg-33979910 James Sulat named Chairman of BoD (12/08) #msg-27338039 James Roach, CMO, joins MNTA (2/08) #msg-12824293 Craig Wheeler, CEO, joins MNTA from Chiron (8/06)
COPAXONE PROGRAM
Economic rationale and profit split #msg-93595610Annualized US Copaxone sales=$3.2B, despite competition #msg-90394447Musings on Copaxone’s US market share #msg-12222305NVS/MNTA split profits 50/50 in all cases #msg-72178468 Estimated potential milestones from NVS: $115M #msg-90676220 Variables affecting NPV of NVS/MNTA Copaxone franchise #msg-53081150 Ex-US market for generic Copaxone not attractive
Patent litigation #msg-90362167CAFC invalidates Teva’s 2015 patent, allowing MNTA to launch generic Copaxone in May 2014 (pending FDA approval) #msg-90368371 MNTA’s PR on the Appellate Court ruling
FDA review #msg-95181762GDUFA regs suggest FDA response to Copaxone ANDA before 5/24/14 #msg-48167251 Safety and efficacy trials will not be needed… #msg-60686112 …but MNTA may have conducted a bioequivalence study #msg-30621490 FDA accepts MNTA’s Copaxone ANDA for review (Jul 2008)
#msg-60838182 Copaxone activity can be measured #msg-30647865 ‘Controlled chaos’ and reverse engineering #msg-48166546 Teva’s disinformation campaign (10^28 permutations) #msg-82159882 FDA rejects Teva’s fourth Citizen Petition opposing generic Copaxone #msg-76420849 Background info on Teva’s prior Copaxone CPs (1) #msg-57629433 Background info on Teva’s prior Copaxone CPs (2)
Potential competition from other generic and branded drugs #msg-29902618Mylan inks Copaxone deal with India’s Natco (Jun 2008) #msg-41441618 FDA accepts Mylan’s Copaxone ANDA for review (Sep 2009) #msg-90636221 Mylan and MNTA products are not identical #msg-95940872Musings on Mylan’s Copaxone ANDA from JPM 2014 #msg-90376874 Musings on Mylan’s Copaxone ANDA (RockRat) #msg-70039774 Synthon submits Copaxone ANDA (Dec 2011) #msg-62355790 Musings on a Copaxone ‘authorized generic’
#msg-87520671 Teva submits NDA for thrice-weekly Copaxone #msg-76644423 Thrice-weekly Copaxone can’t be substituted for regular Copaxone #msg-87522151 Musings on commercial prospects for thrice-weekly Copaxone #msg-90582382 Teva will detail regular Copaxone even if thrice-weekly product approved #msg-76611659 Phase-3 data on thrice-weekly Copaxone
#msg-70212854MNTA inks worldwide FoB partnership with BAX #msg-72624576 Redacted version of BAX-MNTA contract #msg-70261411BAX pays for post-IND development and commercialization #msg-96382526 MNTA’s opt-in right for profit/expense sharing on compounds #3–#6 #msg-96382369 Guesses on identities of first two FoB compounds in collaboration #msg-95157732 BAX passes on third FoB compound—MNTA to develop on own #msg-96383250Biobucks ‘cheat sheet’ for BAX collaboration #msg-78195937 Why Rituxan is probably not one of the BAX-MNTA FoB’s
#msg-70236725 Humira factoids #msg-70237561 An interchangeable Humira FoB has colossal upside (1) #msg-70238965 An interchangeable Humira FoB has colossal upside (2) #msg-79941294 Survey of rheumatologists is (paradoxically) bullish for MNTA
#msg-56429332 MNTA publishes Orencia paper in Nature Biotechnology (PR) #msg-56456168 MNTA publishes Orencia paper in Nature Biotechnology (full text) #msg-52853238 MNTA files patent application re Orencia
#msg-70249988 Musings on the terms of the BAX deal (rkrw) #msg-70239632 Musings on the terms of the BAX deal (Dew)
#msg-73905464The Deal interviews Craig Wheeler on FoB’s (3/30/12) #msg-49883723MNTA is a beneficiary of US FoB legislation #msg-48581353 What the new healthcare law says about FoB’s #msg-26837144Momenta’s mantra on biogenerics #msg-62559655FDA official cites MNTA in discussion of FoB pathways #msg-62631138 Addendum to above discussion #msg-66837147 NEJM article on FoB pathway #msg-65845219Musings on the NEJM article (by ‘MTB’) #msg-63126386 BioCentury article spells out regulatory pathway for US FoB’s #msg-63127867 Crux of the issue for US FoB’s #msg-71919555 Limited clinical trials will be required, at least initially (1) #msg-62805964 Limited clinical trials will be required, at least initially (2)
#msg-70191760US patent-expiration dates of big-selling biologics #msg-69265200 New AMGN patent takes Enbrel off list of MNTA’s likely candidates #msg-57601389 Presentation by James Roach at FDA hearing on FoB’s #msg-58469454 Musings on how an FoB applies to disparate indications #msg-78694285 Musings on NVS’ standing in FoB market #msg-54034992 Speculation re Integrilin FoB #msg-33839321 Procognia is not a serious competitor #msg-33597614 Also-ran companies in the FoB arena
LOVENOX PROGRAM
Patent-infringement lawsuit against generic competitors #msg-95885236 Latest legal machinations #msg-90167695 US District Court dismisses Lovenox patent case due to H-W ‘safe harbor’ #msg-89307368 US Supreme Court denies certiorari in Lovenox-patent case #msg-89309317 Supreme Court denial presumably ends the Lovenox patent case #msg-78175269 Appellate Court lifts preliminary injunction against Amphastar #msg-89414428 Succinct analysis of the judicial machinations (Patent Docs blog)
Sales, market share, and pricing of generic Lovenox #msg-93245177 NVS reports $58M of 3Q13 Lovenox sales #msg-71975717 MNTA’s royalty rate is 10-12% with two tiers #msg-87412567Estimated NPV of MNTA’s royalty stream #msg-54355727 60-70% of US Lovenox market is hospital-based #msg-59555188 Average price in hospital setting 35-40% lower than retail #msg-55882487 Musings on Lovenox development outside US
FDA actions and product launches #msg-71365074 Amphastar/ACT launch generic Lovenox #msg-67230597 FDA approves generic Lovenox from Amphastar #msg-52620730 FDA approves NVS/MNTA’s generic Lovenox (syringe formulation) #msg-69495753 FDA approves NVS/MNTA’s generic Lovenox (vial formulation) #msg-59138957 FDA does not approve Teva’s Lovenox ANDA #msg-66767716 Teva’s ANDA might not ever be approvable #msg-52582225 FDA’s criteria for approval of generic Lovenox
OTHER R&D PROGRAMS
M402 oncology program #msg-87393720Phase-1/2 trial revised to include Abraxane #msg-87859870 Clinicaltrials.gov listing for revised M402 trial #msg-37030489Rationale for a heparin-derived cancer drug #msg-76229566 PR re ASCO 2012 data #msg-77188957 M402 poster from 2012 ASCO #msg-77165730 Musings on M402’s probability of regulatory success #msg-64437243 M402 paper in PLoS ONE #msg-60373285 Presentation at 2011 AACR #msg-56822655 Paper from Investigational New Drugs #msg-55872859 Paper from Journal of Hematological Oncology #msg-55517588 Paper from Methods in Molecular Biology
Enhanced-IVIG program #msg-69595597 MNTA acquires sialic switch IP from Virdante Pharmaceuticals #msg-69681347 Musings on the Virdante deal #msg-77593979 How MNTA intends to differentiate its version of IVIG #msg-89344512 USPTO issues sialylation patent licensed to MNTA
AnaptysBio collaboration #msg-95041926 Press release from 12/17/13
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
#msg-84501925Musings on trade secrets and FDA disclosure policy #msg-96329109 Recent patent applications and overview of IP estate #msg-69165740 ‘235 patent is workaround to Teva’s “Gad” patents #msg-59682546 ‘187 patent re Copaxone manufacturing #msg-89344512 USPTO issues sialylation patent licensed to MNTA
PUBLICATIONS
#msg-86139857FiercePharma re FoB manufacturing (3/13) #msg-85017663Boston Business Journal re FoB’s (2/13) #msg-73905464The Deal interviews Craig Wheeler re FoB’s (3/12) #msg-63126386BioCentury re prospects for US FoB’s (5/11) #msg-28748329Nature Biotechnology re contaminated heparin (4/08) #msg-23005127Nature re FoB’s (9/07) #msg-25803923The Pink Sheet interviews Wheeler re MNTA’s technology (3/07) #msg-25779774Boston Globe re MNTA’s IPO (11/04)