Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Rande Is . . . HOME -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Goodale who wrote (43225)	12/12/2000 3:20:33 PM
From: manny t	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 57584

NVS,ILXO,MLNM,up for Cancer drug review this week: Three cancer drugs to face U.S. panel review By Lisa Richwine WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - U.S. science advisers meet this week to review three cancer drugs, including one product looking to make gains against leading breast cancer treatment tamoxifen. Swiss drug maker Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) is asking a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel to endorse its drug Femara, which has been on the U.S. market since 1997, as a first-choice treatment for post-menopausal women with advanced breast cancer. Femara, known generically as letrozole, already holds FDA clearance for second-line breast cancer treatment. But Novartis wants doctors to consider Femara as the first weapon against breast cancer that has spread. Company studies, to be presented to the FDA panel Wednesday, showed Femara did better than tamoxifen at delaying progression of the disease in women past menopause. Femara also was more effective at reducing tumor size before surgery, Novartis said. The FDA usually follows its panels' advice. The company needs the agency's permission in order to promote Femara as a first-line treatment to oncologists. "You really have to show good data" to convince oncologists to switch from tamoxifen, said ING Barings analyst Sergio Traversa, adding that he thought Novartis would make a convincing case to the panel. Femara is part of a class of drugs known as aromatase inhibitors that includes AstraZeneca Plc's Arimidex, already approved for first-line treatment. AstraZeneca also sells tamoxifen under the brand name Nolvadex. Later Wednesday, the FDA panel will review experimental drug Maxamine by San Diego-based Maxim Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MAXM). The company hopes to market Maxamine, which would be its first marketed product, as part of a treatment for advanced skin cancer. On Thursday, two biotech firms, ILEX Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: ILXO) and Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: MLNM), will seek a favorable vote on their drug Campath for treating a rare cancer called chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Both companies are hoping Campath will become their first product approved for sale, and analysts said they expected the drug would win the panel's support. "We think it's a very effective drug, and it should reach the market," said U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray analyst Peter Ginsberg, who has a "buy" rating on ILEX stock. San Antonio-based Ilex and Millennium, based in Cambridge, Mass., will share revenues from Campath sales with Germany's Schering AG , which has U.S. marketing rights to the drug. All Headlines Additional Headlines 12/12 11:48 Reuters Three cancer drugs to face U.S. panel review 12/12 11:48 Reuters Three cancer drugs to face U.S. panel review 12/12 11:48 Reuters Three cancer drugs to face U.S. panel review 12/11 18:16 TheStreet.com As FDA Date Approaches, Maxim Shorts Itch for an Answer [external] 12/11 14:18 CBS MarketWatch.com Biotech Stocks: BioChem, biotech stocks climbing [external]

To: Goodale who wrote (43225)	12/13/2000 8:50:34 AM
From: Rande Is	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 57584

Regarding the web host takeovers. . . . PSI Net, Inc. still looks like the best value for playing the FON announcement. PSI needs a bigger company to step in and turn their biz around. Their operating costs are sucking up those impressive revenues. PSI brings in a billion a year yet has a mkt cap of 308 mil. And of the half dozen or so web host/farm companies that we looked at yesterday, none of them had higher yearly revenues than PSIX. . . . and as of this morning, none of the companies we looked at have a lower market capitalization than PSI. Careful of momentum action/volatility with speculative traders. . . Rande Is