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Biotech / Medical : Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LLCF who wrote (293)	8/23/1999 6:25:00 PM
From: Casaubon	Respond to of 1169

great move. Broke a spread quadruple top on huge volume. I took my money off the table today, but will look to get back in on pull backs. Good luck to everyone one!

To: LLCF who wrote (293)	8/23/1999 10:29:00 PM
From: Miljenko Zuanic	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1169

DAK: It is about time that this sucker start to move in right direction. It needs strong move upward (I guess few like today) to ketch its pears (first tire who gone crazy lately). Beside rumor on take-over possibly [which I do not think is a case, at least I hope this...remember SUGN and my agony...:( ] one other possibly (or my projection) may have broad influence: Investor finally reemoved their screen (or dark glasses) and they are looking behind Ageneraze! :) For instance, recent article in JAIDS: <<Mycophenolic Acid Shows Powerful Synergistic Anti-HIV Activity With Abacavir By Deborah Mitchell WESTPORT, Aug 19 (Reuters Health) - Abacavir, the first clinically available guanosine analogue HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor, used in combination with mycophenolic acid, results in a potent and synergistic inhibition of HIV-1 replication in vitro "...to an extent not previously observed with other antiretroviral combinations." "The use of inhibitors of purine nucleoside metabolism has been advocated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection," Dr. David Margolis, of the University of Maryland Institute of Human Virology in Baltimore, and colleagues explain. Mycophenolic acid, which is used in organ transplantation, is a specific inhibitor of lymphocyte proliferation via blockade of purine synthesis. Specifically, this agent "...acts on inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase to block conversion of inosine monophosphate to guanosine monophosphate." "Because of the antiviral potency of abacavir and the lymphocyte specificity of [mycophenolic acid], we hypothesized that these drugs might synergize in the inhibition of HIV replication without causing substantial cellular toxicity." Overall, the combination of these two drugs in vitro was "...exceedingly potent and synergistic," the researchers report in the August 15th issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. The antiviral activity of abacavir was "greatly enhanced" by low concentrations of mycophenolic acid in activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and monocyte-derived macrophages. "This effect was also seen when primary clinical isolates were used." Dr. Margolis' team also found that this combination was active against an HIV-1 strain that encoded the M184V mutation. "However, the combination of [mycophenolic acid] and zidovudine (ZDV) or stavudine (d4T) was antagonistic," they note. "These are laboratory studies," Dr. Margolis told Reuters Health, "...and the clinical implications need to be carefully tested in clinical trials." It would be "unfortunate" if this drug combination were used before clinical data are available, he said. Dr. Margolis emphasized that because the "...antinucleoside drug is targeted to the cell, not the virus," there would probably be "...inescapable side effects or toxicities with some patients." However, he envisions two possible treatment scenarios "...using this combination or similar combinations that use the same strategy." The first would be "...to augment the effectiveness of a drug in standard therapy before significant clinical drug resistance was established." The other use might be in established drug resistance, he continued. "Preliminary data show that this combination is highly effective against multinucleoside-resistant viruses." This salvage therapy approach is currently being pursued at the University of Maryland in a small, uncontrolled pilot study with "...patients who essentially have no other viable therapeutic options." The patients have only been on therapy for a few weeks, Dr. Margolis explained, but the "...very, very early results are somewhat encouraging." J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 1999;21:362-370.>> indicate that VX-497 (which is advance IMPDH inhibitor and mycophenolate derivative), currently in PII for psoriasis and HCV, may have other application as broad anti-viral agents. And this is only one example. VRTX has several good candidates in pipeline, so (even after today move) stock price is ridiculous cheap. Miljenko