Here is an interesting bit of speculation about the market relationship between Rituxan and IDEC-Y2B8 from today's annual report.
"The Company expects that Rituxan and IDEC-Y2B8 will provide complementary products for the management of B-cell NHLs. Because most B-cell NHLs are treated today in community-based group practices, Rituxan fits nicely into the community practice, as no special equipment or extensive training is required for its administration or for management of treatment related side effects. Rituxan has shown activity even in patients refractory to chemotherapy and is indicated for this use, so that it may provide a viable option for the community-based oncologist prior to referral of the patient to the major medical center for treatment with more aggressive therapies, potentially including IDEC-Y2B8. By contrast, all radioimmunotherapies will be administered by the nuclear medicine specialists or radiation oncologists at the major medical or cancer centers that are equipped for the handling, administration and disposal of radioisotopes. Also, the nuclear medicine department, but not the community-based practice, has the specialized equipment and governmental licenses that are required for use of radioisotopes. Thus the Company believes that referral patterns will develop for treatment of B-cell NHL patients with radioimmunotherapies at major medical centers after the community-based oncologist has exhausted all other options, such as Rituxan or chemotherapy, for the management of his or her patients. This trend will be further reinforced by the observation made by the Company, and by others working in the field, of the substantial clinical activity of radioimmunotherapies in patients with late-stage disease that has become refractory to chemotherapies. Thus, IDEC Pharmaceuticals is committed to the development and commercialization of IDEC-Y2B8 as a complementary product to Rituxan that might be used throughout the course of a patient's disease providing an alternative, for both the patient and the healthcare professional, to conventional chemotherapies." |
