At ASH, the company and its partners will present phase I data for three different agents powered by Immunogen’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology. The most important of which is Sanofi-Aventis’ (SNY) SAR3419 in Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a common form of blood cancer. Later that month at SABCS, Roche/Genentech is expected to present results for T-DM1, a high profile ADC for the treatment of breast cancer.
For part I click here
On top its JAK programs, Incyte has been developing two additional programs it intends to out-license. The first program is INCB13739 for diabetes, which already reached clinical proof of concept and could be licensed imminently. The second program, INCB7839 for breast cancer, is less advanced but could become very interesting later this year depending on data from an ongoing trial.
Last week, Incyte (INCY) sold over $130M worth of stock and $400M worth of convertible debt in an effort to solve its balance sheet issues. Thanks to the stronger cash position, the company can finally be evaluated based on its promising pipeline rather than its capital structure. More importantly, it will be able to complete a series of business development deals and focus on becoming a commercial stage company.
Earlier this month, Micromet (MITI) concluded an impressive public offering of $75M, approximately 20% of the company’s market cap. The offering illustrates the transformation the company has undergone from an anonymous biotech play into a recognized industry leader. This is also echoed by the growing attention from Wall St. When I first wrote about Micromet in 2007, the company was covered by a single analyst, RBC’s Jason Kantor, who was one of the first to see the potential in Micromet’s platform. Today the stock is covered by six additional research analysts.
A drug with an almost certain approval and immediate sales potential of hundreds of millions of dollars is an asset very few biotech companies possess. In that sense, Incyte (INCY), which is developing a breakthrough drug for blood disorders, represents a unique opportunity in an industry plagued by risk and uncertainty. Incyte is also unique in its problematic capital structure, which makes an otherwise simple investment decision into a tricky one.
Last month at the ASCO meeting, Curagen (CRGN) presented results for its lead drug, CR-011, in breast cancer and melanoma patients. CR011 had activity in both indications, however, most of the drug’s value should be ascribed to the breast cancer program, which represents a huge commercial opportunity and better chances of approval.
As I previously wrote, the significance of the breast cancer trial is not only in the clinical activity of CR-011, but more importantly, the ability to identify patients who are likely to respond to the drug. By defining the right target population, Curagen could substantially improve chances of approval, shorten development time and enjoy high market acceptance. Read the rest of this entry »
This year’s ASCO was packed with promising early stage trials, but very few positive late stage trials with an impact on medical practice. The two most important practice changing trials were phase III studies for Eli Lilly’s (LLY) Alimta and Roche’s (RHHBY.PK) Herceptin. These drugs are likely to enjoy a boost in revenues starting from next year, as both demonstrated impressive survival prolongation in lung and gastric cancer patients, respectively. The studies also underscore the paradigm shift in the industry towards personalized medicine, where a drug is given only to patients who have a high likelihood of deriving benefit. This article will focus on Alimta, which was, in my opinion the winner of ASCO 2009. Read the rest of this entry »
Seattle Genetics – Another step towards approval
Seattle Genetics (SGEN) will present results from a phase I trial of SGN-35 in two rare blood cancers. This agent is important not only because it represents Seattle Genetics’ first opportunity for commercial revenue, but also because it serves as a proof of concept for the company’s antibody- drug conjugate (ADC) technology. The drug already generated impressive data when given every three weeks, and this year it will probably show even stronger activity in a weekly regimen. The company wanted to use a more frequent dosing in order to increase the overall amount of SGN-35 it can give and see whether it leads to higher efficacy without increasing side effects.
The ASCO annual meeting, one of the most important events in the pharmaceutical industry will take place in Orlando next weekend. With over 4,000 abstracts to be presented this year, separating the wheat from the chaff is difficult, but below is an incomplete list of intriguing trials that deserve investors’ attention.
Two weeks ago, Micromet (MITI) hosted its annual R&D day, where it discussed plans for 2009 and beyond. The meeting provided plenty of information regarding the company’s technology and drug candidates, but more importantly, it served as an appetizer for next month’s EHA meeting. As a reminder, Micromet is expected to present data from 2 trials evaluating its lead agent, blinatumomab (MT103), in two forms of blood cancer: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).
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