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Biotech / Medical : Visible Genetics Inc.(VGIN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: scaram(o)uche who wrote (218)	6/28/1998 4:49:00 PM
From: mesaone	Respond to of 337

Rick, did you happen to catch this article in last weeks Business Week (june 29th). I just read it today (catching up) A TOOL FOR STAYING A STEP AHEAD OF HIV POWERFUL DRUG COCKTAILS ARE KEEPING HIV at bay in thousands of people infected with the virus. But given the deadly virus' ability to mutate rapidly, patients are worried that their viral strains will develop resistance to the treatments. Indeed, HIV has already proven that it can quickly develop resistance to single-drug treatments. And doctors increasingly are dealing with patients in whom levels of the virus are creeping back up. But there may be a way to head off resistance before it occurs. By reading the genetic codes of viruses as they mutate and evolve in actual patients, Robert M. Lloyd Jr., scientific director at Applied Sciences Inc. in Norcross, Ga., made a critical discovery. Before a strain of virus actually mutates enough tobecome resistant, he found, it typically makes an intermediate change in its genetic code. That mutation Lloyd reasoned, can be used to predict later mutations that lead to resistance. By searching for these intermediate mutations, ''we can have a crystal ball of what resistance mutations are coming,'' explains John Stevens, chief executive officer of Visible Genetics Inc. in Toronto, which owns Applied Sciences. Once a ''crystal ball'' mutation is spotted, it may be possible to change the combination of drugs to prevent resistance from developing. BY JOHN CAREY

To: scaram(o)uche who wrote (218)	6/28/1998 9:03:00 PM
From: mesaone	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 337

biz.yahoo.com any bets on how much of a bang. : ) this will get in the next 48 hours?? if you hear anything from the geneva conference involving vginf.. please post it. i will do the same from the ny conference.

To: scaram(o)uche who wrote (218)	6/29/1998 7:44:00 PM
From: mesaone	Respond to of 337

Rick, Without wanting to sound too jazzed up on vginf- - I am! went to the conference today. John Stevens was very exicted about the company, Geneva is certainly looking at genotyping as THE solution. And, VGINF is the ONLY company presenting in Geneva that has a genotyping kit, the only company with product. Stevens conservatively said they had a 6 month lead.. but later said it is probably more like 2 years (he knows from his experience) CNN was filming VGINF in geneva today, so maybe tomorrow we can see in on the air. According to John (who was about to hope a plane to Geneva) his booth is swamped. He was incredibly please with the JAMA article on June 24 about genotyping. This is what the FDA has been wanting from vginf (before starting the us trials) , a consensus report standardizing the mutations.. and this is exactly what the JAMA article did. you were right, in geneva today, all roads are pointing to Genotyping for HIV. other important highlights: the clinical partners trial (with the top 30 AIDS doctors in the US) will not only be a clinical trial, but a marketing trial. already the skeptics have moved over and are believers. Once these doctors realized that it is the wild virus (the non-compliants)that was a problem , they realized why genotyping would work for them (and according to Stevens are very excited about it). so now you have the top 30 MD's who want to use genotyping which is faster and more accurate (almost 100%) than any other method. John is very comfortable with the earnings report (due out in 32 hours) and during the breakout, said he was very optimistic for this Q and this year. They are already marketing their kits in Europe, Asia, and South America (without fda approval) but expects that he will be going to the FDA this August. He said that they would entertain co marketing partnerships in these parts of the world (but not necessarily North American,since they are the only ones with this kit, the buyers are already lining up) When he gets off the plane in Geneva tomorrow the meetings are already lined up with companies who have offers on the table for corporate partnerships (at premiums above the others.) Roche is certainly a little nervous (that VGINF will be bought by someone other than Roche), but Stevens has the utmost respect for Roche as a company, wants to keep a very friendly working relationship with Roche, is pretty sure Roche would make an offer to buy, but right now.. lots of suitors , and no decisions. He also said that they have found that they can co-market viral load with genotyping. Bottom line.. vginf is the smart and intelligent woman eveyone is wanting to date with lots of potential suitors looking to get married.. but i think vginf will probably only marry a rich one, when and if she marries. I took a sizable position recently and was a little nervous today when I saw the profit taking.. but now..IMO this one is primed to take off. Thank you for telling me about the conference.