ARTICLE mentioned before:
It Makes Sense, Anti-sense
by James Baker
Eight months later and an HIV patient still has the immune stem cells that he received in the beginning of the Phase I trial.
Eighty percent of a hepatitis B (HBV) Phase I group showed a lower enzyme count in the liver and a reduction in the hepatitis B cell count.
These are some of the promising results coming from a Farmingdale, NY biotechnology company called Enzo Biochem, Inc. (NYSE: ENZ), and in particular, a new method of treatment called anti-sense RNA therapy.
In essence, it is a way of altering the DNA through inserting a modified RNA strand. For instance, in the HIV-1 drug called HGTV43, the modified RNA strand is delivered to the cell and is modified in such a way as to deny the HIV-1 cell from attaching itself to the immune cell. It also replicates more of the same super-immune white blood cells.
Enzo has a number of promising pre-clinical candidates. They include drugs for Crohn's disease, graft vs. host disease, hepatitis C, ulcerative colitis, and cholesterol management.
It gets better. Enzo received a patent on a method to correct abnormal or flawed genes. The possibilities are enormous for this process. How about fixing hemophilia, or turning off a cancer cell to make it normalized, or convert a genetic disorder like sickle cell anemia. The method repairs the target gene with either adding or removing small segments that are at fault. This is all done at the cell level and is not another attempt at replacing genes but a method to repair the existing ones.
Enzo Biochem has three subsidiaries. Enzo Therapeutics develops the drugs you see here. Enzo Diagnostics develop and sell unique or novel DNA based probes for targeted clinical analysis. Enzo Clinical Labs offer full service diagnostic screening, as well as DNA based testing to the medical community. Their diagnostic and clinical lab subsidiaries account for all of the current revenue. Enzo was up 5.1% in the second quarter compared to a year ago or 7.6% in a comparison of the first half.
The Phase II AIDS trial should be announced soon and they are moving forward in several of the pre-clinical products.
Enzo Biochem is well ahead in the genomics race and with over 200 patents already. It only makes sense to look this one over thoroughly.
James Baker is a past partner of Generic Traders and past registered trader on the PHLX exchange. At the time of publication he did not own or control positions in the securities mentioned in this column. The information in this column under no circumstances serves as a recommendation to buy or sell stocks. |
