kdd_999 here. Have ignored yahoo for months. Glad to see others show up here. Merry Christmas and a great 2005 to all of you.
Still holding immu, but very concerned about recent FDA goofs re celebrex, etc. Surely is a different scenario than back in 1999 when we were worried about FDA approval.
I have to say that this has totally shaken any desire I personally have, to use any new drugs unless as a last resort. I would always choose the drug that's been on the market for 10 years or more, or at least prior to the "new FDA" era. I've also become a skeptic about efficacy, as many of these drugs receive approval with major manipulation of the test data to show that they are effective. It's never black and white. I suppose that users of any of IMMU's products are so desperate that the toxicity may not matter, but I think the public is going to be extremely gunshy after all this press.
I became personally aware of such problems 2 years ago when I investigated the canine drug, Rimadyl, which was the equivalent, I guess, of celebrex for dogs. It was approved for the market, but some web sites showed how many dogs were dying of liver failure. Just like celebrex, the company's tests showed acceptable performance. But after a couple of years on the market, there was just too much info on the real side effects for dog owners and vets to ignore it. Fortunately, I got my dog off of it before he got liver damage.
I had the same experience with my son's use of Effexor, a newer antidepressant that he was given by the doctor. We carefully read the data sheet that came with it, because he had numerous side effects from other similar drugs. NOWHERE did it say that the drug could cause suicidal thoughts, but after he was hospitalized for 2 attempts in 3 days after starting on the drug, I read on a web site that this is actually a KNOWN effect for many SSRI's. How a drug for depression that causes suicide attempts can stay on the market is really beyond me!
Bottom line is, I think the public environment for new drugs is changing fast, and it's going to impact the deals and the profits for investors in the future. The scumbags that are lying and covering up are going to ruin the biotech market, unless they shape up fast. (And you will recall, I was SOOOOO gungho about biotech in 1999.) It's one thing to have cheaters in Enron, it's another to have them intentionally telling doctors to poison your loved ones just to make a buck. (And the FDA can go fly a kite for all they are worth IMHO at the present time. Might as well go to a witch doctor.)
Definitely an uphill battle at this point for IMMU. |
