Analysis of:
Vaccinating Boys for Girls’ Sake? (www.nytimes.com)
Merck intends to market this viral vaccine to "protect" women from the risk of cervical carcinoma.
Analysis of:
Genentech Clears Hurdle On Cancer Drug Avastin (online.wsj.com)
Avastin will be used in the therapy of "advanced" metastatic breast cancer, despite controversial data. In a disease with multiple options and a variable course it is virtually impossible to prove improved survival!!
Analysis of:
Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals Announces Filing of IND with APOPTONE(TM) in Hormone Sensitive Cancers to Commence Phase I/II Clinical Trial in Late-Stage Prostate Cancer (www.pipelinereview.com)
1) This article is a bit confusing as in the beginning it refers to hormone sensitive disease,when in fact,later in the text,it is the HRPC(hormone refracory prostate cancer) cells that are targetted.
2)That being said,the mechanism of action and animal data look interesting and certainly worth pursuing...
Analysis of:
FDA Accepts TREANDA(R) New Drug Application for the Treatment of Relapsed Indolent Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (www.pipelinereview.com)
Cephalon's Treanda have shown efficacy in relapsed/refractory indolent NHL and also in CLL, and is expected to get FDA approval for both indications. Cephalon currently has FDA approval for Trisenox for relapsed APL ( a less common form of AML) and is developing Lasteurinib for FLT-3 positive...
Analysis of:
Genentech has billions at stake in FDA battle (sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com)
Historically , FDA follows the recommendations of its advisory committee, in this case to reject approval of Avastin. This is an election year but breast cancer patients and their families are strong activists, not to mention Genetech's mighty connections , so approval with restrictions , especially...
Analysis of:
Onyx's Double Dose of Trouble (www.fool.com)
The Nexavar lung cancer trial was terminated by the data monitoring committee PLUS it caused increased deaths in the squamous cell subgroup. Future in lung cancer?? PLUS: recent info also has shown cardiac events in Nexavar making it a potential loser in the race for kidney cancer dollar.
Analysis of:
FDA Accepts TREANDA(R) New Drug Application for the Treatment of Relapsed Indolent Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (www.pipelinereview.com)
The FDA will be deciding on Treanda in CLL next month and with a litttle luck NHL in the fall of this year
Analysis of:
Genentech has billions at stake in FDA battle (sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com)
Genentech has it's fingers crossed Re: approval or rejection of Avastin in breast cancer. If rejected it will lose it's compendia listing also adversely effecting insurance reimbursement.
Analysis of:
Poniard Pharmaceuticals Announces Positive First-line Phase 1 Safety and Efficacy Data With Picoplatin in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients (www.pipelinereview.com)
Picoplatin + Taxotere (Sanofi) appears in a Phase I trial, to be better than Taxotere alone in reducing PSA levels in metastatic prostate cancer (MPCA.) (Comparing historical, not head to head data)