Analysis of:
Roche's Avastin Cleared For Wider Use in the EU (online.wsj.com)
Avastin was approved for wider use in the EU with multiple chem agents including Roche's Xeloda (Can you say synergy?)
Analysis of:
19 Percent of Office-Based Physicians Refuse to See Pharmaceutical, Biotech and Medical Device Sales Reps (www.drugs.com)
Physicians are seeing less and less of pharmaceutical company reps due to personal as well as institutional restrictions.
Analysis of:
Amgen Shows Little Growth (online.wsj.com)
Amgen's financial report reflects the decreased sales of its ESA's , mainly Aranesp which were associated with increased mortality and cardiovascular side effects. This trend of decreased use is unlikely to be reversed with the impending FDA review in March. Denosumab a monoclonal antibody being used...
Analysis of:
Amgen Shows Little Growth (online.wsj.com)
A monoclonal antibody may "rescue" Amgen from the fall off in erythropoietin use.
Analysis of:
Exelixis and Bristol-Myers Squibb to Co-Develop XL139, an Inhibitor of the Hedgehog Pathway (www.prnewswire.com)
BMS paid Exilexis $ 20 million for rights to develope a small molecule targeting hedgepathway taht is involved in many cancers like melanoma, basalcell carcinoma and brain tumors. The field is crowded with such "targeted agents' many of which are in a later stage of development, so BMS is taking significant...
Analysis of:
Exelixis and Bristol-Myers Squibb to Co-Develop XL139, an Inhibitor of the Hedgehog Pathway (www.prnewswire.com)
BMS is basically taking a flyer that this new targeting agent will be clinically efficacious.
Analysis of:
Phase I Trial of the Novel Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inhibitor Deforolimus (AP23573; MK-8669) Administered Intravenously Daily for 5 Days Every 2 Weeks to Patients With Advanced Malignancies (jco.ascopubs.org)
Deforolimus is an analog of rapamycin that has been shown to inhibit mTOR activity. This is only a phase I trial and is rather dated but still points to potential efficacy. The editorial in the JCO http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/26/3/348 points to the hopes and future for this...
Analysis of:
Famed Cancer Researcher Folkman Dies (ap.google.com)
Dr. Folkman first prposed that targeting anti-angiogenesis in an article in 1971. Genentech's antiangiogenesis drug , Avastin is a block buster and has had modest succeses in treatment of advanced colorectal ,breast, and renal cancer. Angiogenesis is only one pathway involved in cancer development and...
Analysis of:
Rituximab Combined with CHOP Improves Survival in Older Lymphoma Patients (www.medscape.com)
Rituxan added to CHOP chemo in aggressive NHL and given at 2 week rather than 3 week intervals is as effective and safe as the standard Q 3 week program in older (61-80) patients