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

To: Cacaito who wrote (12335)	11/25/1999 3:39:00 PM
From: Slugger	Respond to of 17367

OT - More problems w/ socialized medicine in Great Britain. Doctor Says He Can't Prescribe Drug He Developed Updated 1:14 PM ET November 25, 1999 LONDON (Reuters) - Budget restrictions within Britain's government-funded National Health Service are preventing a cancer expert from prescribing a drug that he helped to develop, a medical newspaper said on Thursday. Professor Edward Newlands, of Charing Cross Hospital in west London was one of the scientists who worked on the original research into the drug Temodal, a treatment for brain cancer. But he is not allowed to prescribe the drug, which costs 8,000 pounds ($12,920), to his patients because of budget restraints. Temodal (temozolomide), an oral cytotoxic alkylating agent, is manufactured by Schering-Plough and available in capsule form. Schering-Plough has exclusive worldwide rights to market temozolomide through a licensing agreement with Britain's Cancer Research Campaign Technology Ltd. "The government cannot say cancer is a priority," he told Hospital Doctor, a weekly newspaper for physicians. "It's a joke, there have been no improvements in the 2-1/2 years since they've been in," he said, referring to Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labor government. Newlands, who must prescribe cheaper and less efficient drugs for his patients, described the situation as scandalous. "It is a scandal and the government has not addressed it," he added. Newly appointed Health Minister Alan Milburn promised to make cancer one of the priority of the health service. He also appointed a new cancer chief to oversee and improve treatment for the disease.

To: Cacaito who wrote (12335)	11/25/1999 5:02:00 PM
From: Bluegreen	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 17367

Cacaito, once again I ask how in the world did your beloved FDA allow Xoma to go to Phase III trauma if it was big mistake? You can't have your soggy potato chips and eat them too! Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend. Thanks to ALL who have contributed to this board! PS Who kept saying to keep focus on synergy?

To: Cacaito who wrote (12335)	11/25/1999 9:03:00 PM
From: franksja	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 17367

I obtained the PII Trauma report as printed in the Journal of Trauma Injury. It is being provided by XOMA IR upon request. It is 12 pages of heavy science, but even to my untrained eye, it is not whitewash nor hype. I don't believe XOMA has, at any time, mislead any of us. They clearly state in the body of the report that the results were not statistically significant even though there were positive results. Why did they go ahead with the PIII?? In my opinion, they were conducting basic science as opposed to applied science--they were/are looking for an indication (stated endpoints not withstanding). When they didn't find it in the early going of the PIII, they shut it down and saved the money. XOMA is apparently continuing to examine the results, looking for an indication. The complications from trauma can come from other causes including, gram positive bacteria etc. XOMA had already tested against gram negative bacteria and I am confident they saw no need to spend more money on those specific tests for LPS. I note that overall, 92% of patients in the placebo group and 95% in the rBPI patients received systemic antibiotics within the first 15 days of the study. The proportion of patients who developed at least one serious infection through day 15 was 35% in the placebo group and 31% in the rBPI group. Pneumonia was the most common serious infection and showed the greatest difference between the two treatment groups through day 15: 28% in the placebo group versus 20% in the rBPI group. Pneumonia caused by gram-negative organisms occurred in 20% of placebo patients and 14% of rBPI patients. Jim Franks