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Pastimes : son of T/FIF -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Mike McFarland who wrote (22)8/12/1999 5:12:00 PM
From: scaram(o)uche  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 673
 
>> if Rick has a science comment, we will see <<

Yeah.... the sun will come up tomorrow too.

CBST.... I've always been concerned with the high level of protein binding for dapto, toxicity, and the initial reports of lack of efficacy in a myocardial model. However, the topical won't be affected by such, the i.v. target initially is soft tissue infections, and a bunch of knowledgeable individuals are enthusiastic.

Everybody and their brother is interested in dapto. There's also the "pop on news of flesh-eating bugs" potential.

MMP.... I don't have any reason to say no, but the biological explanations for how their molecule works are rather circuitous? They propose, I believe, that monocytes produce an oxidative product that inactivates NK effectors and that their molecule prevents the monocytes from doing such? Seems sort of complicated to me, without bothering to ask how the NK cells localize to the tumor in the first place.

I visited CBST a couple of years ago with Jim Silverman. Lots of chemistry, hard work, and foresight. They get a 4+ for attitude, IMO.

NK cells.... I was one of the first to work in the field, studying the genetic control of anti-parent responses known as hybrid resistance. IMO, the field has always attracted as much phenomenology as science. OTOH, the phase II data as presented by MMP looks rather compelling.

My bias/dogma is just as bad as anybody else's bias/dogma. We picked some of the old portfolios at "cherry pick" time, and it's unreasonable to expect to repeat that performance. Let's continue with the intent of picking near-term winners, no-holds-barred. During a biotech rally, I get wrapped up in science/perception and tend to underperform during the later stages. Happens every time, and it is therefore time for son of T/FIF, time for a change of ownership. So.... either don't ask for my opinion, or run right through it without worrying about what I say.

Biotechs go down in the summer.

- g -



To: Mike McFarland who wrote (22)8/12/1999 11:24:00 PM
From: biowa  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 673
 
Mike,

About the only gene therapy I follow besides CEGE is TGEN, and I'm not sure I would recommend that for any other than a long term gamble (unless you figure IMNX to get acquisition happy and reel them back in). They just did a small deal w/ Elan for "advanced gene therapy," and have been doing some nice clinical work in CF, but they keep the fuel tank awful close to E

biowa