The biggest advantage is being marketed by ASTRA-MERCK alongside their $2 billion pylori drug by their huge sales force. With out A-M, this is just another me too product. This is a big and expanding market and there is room for several competitors. CMTR does need to get their CLIA waver, and are in the process of that and also are in testing to facilitate approval for over-the-counter sales.
Quidel was first to market with an H.pylori test and apparently is doing well with it. It is marketed by P&G who has a competing drug to ASTRA-MERCKS.
Check out the following posts: QDEL: #325, 465, 473
CMTR: #459, 548, or do a SI term search for pylori and you'll get quite a few relevant hits.
Smith-Kline also has a product out to test for H.pylori.
See the following link:
helico.com
Others too that are possibly working on HP tests: EPTO, SALV & TRIBY that I'm aware of, but I'm only aware of CMTR, QDEL and Smith-Kline as having tests approved in the US. Medical Instruments Corp has similar tests, but they are not approved in the US. Anybody else on the thread know of any others?
I'm not sure that any one has a clear monopoly advantage over the others, and would expect this to be a shared competitive market. That still doesn't preclude CMTR making a lot of money on it for a company with a $17M market cap, especially given the other products in launch and FDA application.
Dave |
