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Biotech / Medical : Agouron Pharmaceuticals (AGPH) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: billkirn who wrote (3196)	12/7/1997 9:07:00 PM
From: JOHN W.	Respond to of 6136

Bill, thanks for updating your page. It seems you spend a lot of your time on your page regarding AGPH. I spoke to an AIDS treatment activist (not a M.D.) his research says that VRTX claims and past attention are way overblow and quite disappointing, but the drug is needed anyway, the more the better whether fast or slow track approval. Remember, if I understand this correctly, VX-478 has to show equivalent efficacy under the new guidelines to even get approved. He also noted that the major problem with the cocktail was the cost, and said he believed unfortuneately that these expensive cocktail drugs would be around for a while especially PIs. He seemed very distrusting if not down right hostile to all the pharceutical industry as epidemic profiteers. PI future: "my demise has been grossly over exaggerated". it seems all the new AIDS drugs that are early in the research pipeline are intended to be used in conjunction with the current treatment not as a replacement, please correct me if I am wrong. The media attention that PIs got when first introduced was overly optimistic as was the recent coverage of their limitations. As I have posted, Dr. Deeks at UCSF just recently said his study presented at ICAAC, was "misleading". It was very important for those to latch on to that and blow it out of proportion, major funding/research dollars would have been at stake if the continued impression that AIDS was over and no -longer a death sentenced continued to pre-vail in addition to the fact that safe sex practices seemed to have been jeopardized based on the perception that the cocktail aws a cure.. Now we see that Dr. Deeks will make his money for the foreseeable future trying to determine why patients in the real world don't seem to respond as well as in MRKS clinical study. I think he already has an idea of why, he will just try to prove it and be able to be make a living and still be important. ALL: Remenmber Peter is on Squawk Box tommorrow.

To: billkirn who wrote (3196)	12/7/1997 9:12:00 PM
From: JOHN W.	Respond to of 6136

Subject: Re: VX-478 could be on the mkt by early 99. Date: Sun, Dec 7, 1997 18:29 EST From: RHerman777 Message-id: <19971207232900.SAA28284@ladder01.news.aol.com> IMHO people who invest in biotech should realize that few of the drugs dreamed up ever make it to production. Look at Chiron, great scientists and many recent disappointments with plenty of funding. They have suffered for the past two years while the market flew. Was this bad for agph, sure, they lose some momentum and must fund on their own. What's important is the quality of the scientists, the pipeline of other potential products and current earnings. As far as I can tell, companies like GILD have nothing in comparison with the sales of agph and their price it in the thirties. Viracept is a winner and that is pretty much a given. The company proved they can deliver as they got viracept approved in record time. (not a partial submittal to the fda and a lot of crying about how unfair the system is). Can the stock go lower, who knows? Soros makes mistakes and also successes. AGPH has great sales and the product works. They have a good pipeline with good scientists to push further drugs along. The shorts got their chance and if greedy may just pay back their gains. If I had to bet (and i'm long here) I would say at this level there is more upside than down and people of the long persuasion may have to be a bit patient, but it will pay off.

To: billkirn who wrote (3196)	12/7/1997 9:20:00 PM
From: JOHN W.	Respond to of 6136

ALL; Peter Johnson is csheduled at 8:00 am Eastern, it would appear to be toward the end if the order of the guest indicates the order in which they appear. Here is the CNBC link that has the schedule: cnbc.com P.S/ I hope he doesn't drop a bombshell on the shorts, I wish we could all make money. I will bet the word Rhinovirus comes up.

To: billkirn who wrote (3196)	12/7/1997 10:53:00 PM
From: Izzy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6136

Bill (and Peter and Paul, etc.): Talk about a double standard. If you have time, read VRTX post #108. I actually don't get it (re: VRTX posters) because I really like both AGPH and VRTX. However, I only have AGPH stock now because of its superb PI (Viracept) that allows me to appropriately treat HIV+ patients with the best available PI, IMO. VRTX just doesn't have anything (yet) and the findings of the stage III clinical trials won't be out for months. But, I don't wish to bash VRTX or any other company that is trying to develop an effective HIV treatment.