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Biotech / Medical : AXCAN Pharma(AXCA)..A GUT FEELING! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Biomaven who wrote (11)	8/16/2000 11:47:31 PM
From: Sleepman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 46

When I look at this company, I see a major opportunity in the H. pylori treatment. I really do not know where the PDT will take them. Expanded indications with ursodiol will still be shared with the more prominent product from Novartis. The H.pylori treatment would most likely be a big hit, that is, if the pill(or capsule), is not too big. Combining all that stuff will be a challenge. That said, if they can get it in and in a tolerable way, it will most likely be effective, as it is the most well studied way to treat the disease. Still looking, and thinking about biting. Dan

To: Biomaven who wrote (11)	8/17/2000 9:10:12 AM
From: Arthur Radley	Respond to of 46

Peter, Thanks for your comments. As I stated, the "sunburn" issue with Protofrin is a red flag, but with the current trials for Barrett's esophagus if all goes well, AXCA will have IMO the first viable option to treat this problem. Also, it appears that with the recently announced deal with Diomed for their small lasers, this will give AXCA the opportunity to move this product(PROTOFRIN) into the gastroenology market and away from the oncologist as the sole user of this drug. As for QLTI selling the drug to AXCA, either AXCA was sold a bill-of-goods or they think they have a viable product. QLTI's CEO was on CNBC recently and stated that they sold the product because of their desire to concentrate on the eye market(Guess it would be safe to assume that a CEO wouldn't go on national TV and stated that he had just snookered the CEO of another biotech). As for QLTI concentrating on the eye market...looks like they are doing a great job there. As for Ursodial, I agree on the gallstone issue, but it appears that the earliest indications that they are now working on is in the area of colectoral polyps recurrence and the treatment for cholestrol levels. But near term, I'm in Dan's camp on the H. pylori drug. We should get news on the Phase III within a matter of weeks and one pill as oppposed to three....anytime, if the one works. Thanks again for your comments.

To: Biomaven who wrote (11)	8/19/2000 7:00:22 PM
From: Zeev Hed	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 46

Peter, I must be stupid or something, but I would rather take a drug dissolving gall stones than go under a knife or a trocar for that matter. If such a drug also have cholesterol fighting effect, it is a double whamo. What is the relative cost of Ursodial vs the "simplest" laparoscopic gall stone procedure? As for sun sensitivity with PDT drugs, there are millions taking psoralen for psoriasis, it has similar sensitizing effects and people take precautions during the few weeks of treatment in that condition. Zeev