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

To: JEB who wrote (934)	8/28/2001 11:21:34 AM
From: tuck	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1137

>>SAN MATEO, Calif., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- SciClone Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: SCLN - news) today announced that the Company has received a Notice of Allowance for patent protection in Japan covering the use of ZADAXIN, the Company's lead immune system enhancer (ISE) drug, for the treatment of hepatitis C. The new patent, which extends through 2012, also covers the use of ZADAXIN in combination with alpha interferon for the treatment of hepatitis C. SciClone previously was granted a Japanese patent for the use of ZADAXIN in the treatment of hepatitis B, and recently announced completed enrollment of its Japanese phase 3 ZADAXIN hepatitis B trial. ``While SciClone's principal focus continues to be our 1,000 patient ZADAXIN hepatitis C phase 3 program in the U.S., we believe that Japan, as the world's second largest pharmaceutical market, represents a potential for significant long term value to the Company,'' said Donald R. Sellers, SciClone's President and Chief Executive Officer. ``ZADAXIN's intellectual property position for both hepatitis C and hepatitis B treatments is now well established in the U.S., Europe and Japan for the next decade. SciClone is well positioned to take advantage of our broadening opportunities in these important markets.'' According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis C affects approximately 170 million people, or 3% of the total world's population. In Japan, it is estimated that over four million people are infected with the hepatitis C virus. SciClone has initiated a phase 3 clinical program in the U.S. for the treatment of hepatitis C using ZADAXIN as part of a combination therapy with Pegasys®, pegylated interferon alfa-2a, a proprietary product of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. SciClone recently completed enrollment of a phase 3 ZADAXIN monotherapy hepatitis B clinical trial in Japan. In addition, ZADAXIN is in two phase 2 clinical trials in the U.S. for the treatment of liver cancer and in a phase 2 clinical program in combination with lamivudine for the treatment of hepatitis B. The Company is planning a ZADAXIN phase 3 clinical program for European marketing registration for one or more indications that complement the Company's U.S. clinical program. ZADAXIN is also in a malignant melanoma clinical trial in Australia.<< snip This doesn't seem enough to be moving the price as it is on such a tough day. But we'll take what we can get, whatever it is. Cheers, Tuck

To: JEB who wrote (934)	8/29/2001 9:50:36 PM
From: energyplay	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1137

>Why the interest ? 1. I think Biotech will have a nice boom on 2-5 years time - not as big as tech, but a boom. 2. Like the valuation & growth prospects of SCLN - Valuation is not base on products which are not selling or on the value of hope. 3. Viral epidemics drive what is called on Wall Street "Strong Organic Growth" -just means without acquisitions, of course. Also, not many other solutions for Hep C. 4. Their product is not overly specific to a disease, rather it is like an "Immune System Helper" - you know, like Hamberger Helper. EPO might be though of as "Red Blood Cell Production Helper" I see a similar but smaller role for Sciclone's XANDAXIAN. So this is not in a win/lose either/or situation, but rather win/win. Some of the research cost & and effectively marketing cost will be paid by other drug companies wanting the create more effective treatments with their products. I use to be in Semiconductor marketing, and this looks like a product which will have many uses. I also tend to _seriously_ oversimplified explanations. If it improves response to treatment in a statistically significant way , there will be considerable economic and medical reasons to standardize on it. Do this for a few different diseases, and 1 ) It will get tried on many other diseases and 2) It will establish a large market. Multipe uses limit downside - if it doesn't work a given disease, or is replace by another product, that may not kill the other uses of the drug. Sum up - reasonably priced stock, product already out and selling (except U.S.,) multiple uses, multiple growth drivers, big incentive for deep pocket drug companies to help push new uses, similar to model of another big Biotech success (easy to explain to investors)