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Biotech / Medical : XOMA. Bull or Bear? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: aknahow who wrote (10848)	7/20/1999 7:31:00 AM
From: Robert K.	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 17367

Agreed 100% on credit to NEJM for pre-publication. George, I do not think mycoprex is that close, I do think we are fast approching showtime on meningo though. My biggest concern at this point is that the stock will trend based on rumor. I say this now because stock is about neutral in price. I hope everyone will consider this scenario before it happens. And YES it is also possible that rumor could become fact too. All IMO

To: aknahow who wrote (10848)	7/20/1999 10:11:00 PM
From: Bluegreen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17367

YES! Finally these poor kids might get some relief!>>>>>>>>Meningitis vaccine first for Britain A NEW immunisation programme designed to halve the number of deaths from the most virulent strain of meningitis was announced by the Government yesterday. Britain is expected to be the first country in the world to make use of the new vaccine, which has just been granted a licence. The vaccine will give safe, lifelong, immunisation against the C strain of the disease, which killed 150 people in Britain last year. Work on producing it was accelerated in recent months by the Government as more cases of the disease were reported than at any time in the past 50 years. The announcement of the immunisation programme has come a year earlier than expected; more than 100 lives are likely to be saved as a result. If all goes well, 15 million children in the UK will be vaccinated in the first year. Although the announcement has come early, stocks will become available only in October and then only to three priority groups. These are: Babies, who will be offered the vaccine when they go for their three routine immunisations against diptheria, tetanus and whooping cough at two, three and four months; Children in their mid teens who are most at risk from catching the disease; Infants over a year old whose parents have agreed to let them be given the triple vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella at the same time. This is an incentive to try to reduce the high proportion of mothers who are refusing to let their children have the triple vaccination because they are worried that it might cause autism. Children over one and under five will be covered in a second phase which should start next spring with other age groups being given it as stocks become available. The vaccine will not be available for first-year students this year. However, as they are known to be vulnerable in the first weeks of term, especially in halls of residence, supplies of the existing short-term vaccine against the C strain will be made available to anyone who wants it. Immunisation with this type lasts for a maximum of three years but, by then, the most serious danger period for students should be over and the new vaccine should be available for all. The programme will cost many millions of pounds but the Government has yet to start negotiations with the manufacturers so the cost is unknown. The short-term vaccine against the strain, which is to be phased out, cost health authorities around £7 each. The money for the new programme will be funded centrally and health authorities will not have to pay for it out of their exisiting budgets. Frank Dobson, the Health Secretary, told the Commons: "Meningitis fills parents with fear because it can arrive out of the blue and bring a healthy child to death's door in a few hours. This new vaccine will help to reduce the incidence of meningitis but it won't bring it to an end." The disease poses a continuing threat because developing a vaccine against the B strain - a more widespread but less deadly form - is expected to take several years. While the news was welcomed by all parties, Kenneth Clarke, a former Tory Health Secretary, accused the Government of timing the announcement today to divert media attention from waiting lists and junior doctors' hours, which were being debated in the Commons yesterday. "It is part of the press relations machinery of this Government that, when it is in trouble, it finds a piece of readily accessible good news which it believes will take the reporting outside," Mr Clarke said. But Mr Dobson said his department did not have all the details of the vaccination "nailed down" until yesterday. The news was greeted with delight by Julia Warren of the Meningitis Research Foundation. "This will undoubtedly save a lot of precious young lives," she said. "The right groups are being targeted." The British Medical Association said it was glad the Government had been proactive in introducing the vaccine early. "This fills a gap in protection," said Sarah Taylor, chairman of its public health committee. "We have been waiting for a number of years for a sufficiently effective vaccine." The Health Education Authority gave a more cautious welcome. Jo Yarwood, immunisation project manager, said: "This is an important breakthrough. But we must stress that this new vaccine only protects against one form of meningitis and septicaemia."