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

To: Izzy who wrote (4409)	5/29/1998 8:01:00 PM
From: Oliver & Co	Respond to of 6136

"Bull Market" POZ (06/98) P. 78; Gilden, David ÿÿÿÿ Drug companies attending upcoming AIDS conferences plan to display research relating to their products.ÿ But the data, often premature and based on few subjects and short observation periods, can cause conference attendees to become overloaded with information.ÿ Treating HIV is very tricky because of the nature of HIV behavior and the need to block all replication of the virus.ÿ Merck is racing to challenge Agouron's Viracept, which is now getting as many prescriptions as Merck's long-dominant Crixivan.ÿ Crixivan's sales have been slowed by the dosing schedule which requires that the drug be taken every eight hours on an empty stomach.ÿ Merck has been working on a new version that would require a twice-daily dosing schedule.ÿ At a February conference, Merck revealed data from a pilot trial involving 46 people, which indicated that a dose of 1,200 mg two times a day is as effective as an 800 mg dose taken thrice daily.ÿ But low drug levels between the two doses may cause development of viral resistance to Crixivan and other protease inhibitors.ÿ While Merck's study did not take the possibility of low dose levels between doses into account, the company insists that as long as the daily dose remains the same, drug level would not be relevant.ÿ But Abbott Labs, which is working on a combination of Crixivan and its ritonavir, noted that a twice-daily dose of Crixivan keeps the levels needed to fully thwart HIV below the necessary threshold.ÿ Merck and Abbott are involved in trials now that promise more data.

To: Izzy who wrote (4409)	5/31/1998 12:34:00 AM
From: ALL	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6136

Expansion of the Protease Inhibitor Market New infections (though difficult to measure) have unfortunately remained constant over the past few years. Most newly infected patients may begin combination therapy (including a PI): at diagnosis, upon reaching certain immune thresholds and/or viral titers, or upon symptom onset. The natural course of the disease will compel presently infected individuals to seek more aggressive therapies. A vast majority of the estimated 600,000 Americans who are HIV+ but not on anti-retroviral therapies will eventually become symptomatic. Upon the onset of symptoms, the debate of whether to pursue aggressive therapy goes away. Despite the side effect profile (which IMlaymanO is relatively not severe), the continued success of PIs will induce more individuals to seek combination therapy prior to the onset of symptoms. Given the above, the PI market will increase. A questions is: Will AIDS deaths continue decreasing? Logic would argue that they should because PIs were not widely or optimally used during the periods for which AIDS mortality statistics were available. In addition, one might argue that combination therapy is not as effective for patients in the latest stages of AIDS as many were when PIs first became available. Another question: How long must patients continue therapy? Now it appears for a very long time if not for life. Another question: How will other therapies affect the PI market?