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.

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

To: Oliver & Co who wrote (3784)	2/9/1998 10:59:00 AM
From: Henry Niman	Respond to of 6136

The articles that I upload seemed to be looking a patients who had been on PIs for about a year (although some signs were seen much earlier). How many of your 200 patients have been on PIs for a year or more? My earlier comments did not indicate that patients should not be taking PIs. However, I would not characterize metabolic changes or the labeling changes as "insignificant".

To: Oliver & Co who wrote (3784)	2/9/1998 11:06:00 AM
From: Joe E.	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 6136

What are the implications of these fat related side effects on AGPH? Seems to me nobody will choose to die to avoid love handles. If the effect is associated more with one drug than another, it should cause that drug to decline in popularity relative to others. So far that negative is most likely to be felt (fairly or not) by Crixivan. A potential negative for the entire class is that these side effects might cause treatment to be postponed. I may turn out that eventually everybody experiences these side effects, and it may turn out that over the course of many years they are a major impediment to continuing the drugs. Even so, if the alternative is dying, not many people will choose the alternative. Another implication is that it is appropriate to look for alternative therapies to protease inhibitors. This search for alternatives is already at a high pitch. I see no evidence that the search for alternatives had slowed at all, either, and so this implication may have no practical impact. Perhaps more effort will be given to multiple drug trials that exclude protease inhibitors. In sum, for the next year or so, IMO the effect will be slightly positive on AGPH. Once evidence is developed about the frequency of side effects by specific drug, there is a risk that this will change, but right now this seems highly unlikely. But what about hydroxyurea?