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Biotech / Medical : Biotech Valuation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: scaram(o)uche who wrote (1337)	7/13/2000 12:48:23 PM
From: Jim Oravetz	Respond to of 52153

Several former UNC prof’s try to exploit “Alpha virus” for AIDS vaccine. ++++ RealAudio or equ. req'd +++++ July 12th, 2000 AIDS Vaccine (14.4 \| 28.8) -- NPR's Richard Harris reports that a small company in North Carolina is pioneering a new approach in its attempt to develop a vaccine against AIDS. Scientists have tapped public money and a charity, as well as venture capital, to move an intriguing idea from the laboratory toward the marketplace. Untraditional approaches like this seem to be needed to surmount the many technical and practical difficulties in developing an AIDS vaccine. (12:15) search.npr.org www.aplhavax.com Competitive Technologies In recent years, vector systems for preventative and/or therapeutic vaccine applications have been derived from several viruses, including retroviruses, adenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses (AAV), pox viruses, and other alphaviruses like Sindbis and Semlike Forest Virus (SIN, SFV). VEE-based vectors provide an attractive alternative for effective and safe vaccines, compared to these other viral-based systems. Specifically, these advantages include the following:  As an RNA-virus rather than DNA-virus based vector, no chromosomal integration.  Higher antigen expression level.  Lymph node targeting.  Sequential immunization.  No pre-existing vector-specific immune response.  Superior induction of cellular, humoral and mucosal immunity. Competitors The market for vaccines is dominated by four large pharmaceutical companies (Pasteur Merieux Connaught, Merck, SmithKline Beecham and Wyeth Lederle) which account for more than 75% of vaccine sales worldwide. Smaller producers such as Chiron account for the remainder. These companies are pursuing a wide range of technologies for a variety of diseases, and have a number of vaccine candidates in clinical development. Additional pharmaceutical companies such as Bristol-Myers Squibb and Glaxo Wellcome have indicated some possibility of re-entering the vaccine market. Biotechnology companies including Aviron, Cantab, Corixa, MedImmune, OraVax, Vical and Virus Research Institute are pursuing technologies which could be competitive with AlphaVax vectors, and several of these have advanced to the clinical stage. The many vaccine companies who specialize in antigen discovery or have unsatisfactory vector technologies are as much potential AlphaVax collaborators as they are competitors. Looks like they are still private, getting public money to fund the research. Pretty interesting site with lots of abstract links in the Technical section. Jim

To: scaram(o)uche who wrote (1337)	7/13/2000 12:53:26 PM
From: Dr. John M. de Castro	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 52153

Rick, this has not been fun. NTII has been the roller coaster ride of my investment life. I stand to make enough off of it to insure a comfortable retirement. But, I may have taken a couple of years off my life in the process. NTII came within a whisker of going under. But, Freiman et al. have turned it around. I learned a lot. In particular, I've learned that a great drug is not enough. If you have one, the world doesn't beat a path to your door. You need savvy business people to make it work. I'm now comfortable with the prospects for the future of NTII and my stress level is now at more normal levels. You may call it conviction. Some may call it stubborness. Others may see it as psychopathology. But, I will see this thing through till when Freiman sells the company. Best regards John de C