Fascinating day yesterday for ARRY. All mek balls are in the air!
There was the existing backdrop..... the recent Pfizer bid for AZN, and what it might mean for selumetinib.
(Anybody have any thoughts??)
First development of the day... titles for ASCO abstracts released, and it becomes apparent that both MEK162 and selumetinib are making the spotlight. Example.... "A phase 1b/2 study of LEE011 in combination with binimetinib (MEK162) in patients with NRAS-mutant melanoma: Early encouraging clinical activity".
clinicaltrials.gov
clinicaltrials.gov
Second development of the day.... Novartis and GSK swap assets, with Novartis buying the GSK oncology assets. Those assets include a MEK inhibitor.....
gsk.com
and Novartis crows that "create the potential to optimize the launch of these two recently approved products for metastatic melanoma, Tafinlar(R), a B-RAF inhibitor, and Mekinist(TM), a MEK inhibitor, positioning Novartis as the leader in treating melanoma."
marketwatch.com
So? The question is, can Novartis now afford to dump MEK162, having acquired Mekinist? My opinion (I'm not close to the situation, please get your own!) is that NVS loves MEK162, that it is imbedded in combo trials that would be difficult/expensive to duplicate using Mekinist, and that NVS will continue to develop it.
clinicaltrials.gov
I therefore just bought a chunk (3.75) to hold through ASCO. Please wish me luck.
Links to four ASCO titles, MEK162....
Melanoma/Skin Cancers
Session Type: General Poster Session
Track(s): Melanoma/Skin Cancers
Gynecologic Cancer
Session Type: General Poster Session
Track(s): Gynecologic Cancer
Saturday, May 31 | 1:15 PM - 5:00 PM
Lung Cancer - Non-small Cell Metastatic
Session Type: General Poster Session
Track(s): Lung Cancer
Sunday, Jun 1 | 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Novel Combination Therapies for Melanoma
Session Type: Clinical Science Symposium
Track(s): Melanoma/Skin Cancers |
