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Biotech / Medical : Texas Biotech (TXB) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dauntless who wrote (736)	11/23/1998 11:19:00 PM
From: Cacaito	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 834

Dauntless, yes, Merck has Aggrastat for unstable angina, but it is this and heart infarct the eventual markets that TXB's Novastan will make money on (if it works and/or gets approved). And they are many already approved anticoagulant and anticlots in the market, tough area to compete. The Hit market is very small and they has not apply for Orphan drug status (they could probably do it later). Even for the Hit market there is already a compound out there from HoeschtMarionRousell, Refludan (Lepirudin) has being discuss before in this threat. Apparently some price and ease of use will favor Novastan (if ever approved), but Refludan sales are not great, definitely not a blockbuster and they could always lower the price if a competitor comes around. Refludan sales (very small) are a gauge of what Novastan market could be. I see in the future that the Endothelin A antagonist could have some decent sales, if further studies show that it works as intended. In the heart failure market there are many approved and in the work compounds. Several Betablockers, from ITRC, from Astra... SCIO has a very promising and already completed studies with a Natriuretic peptide variant that works (phase III completed and pending NDA in the next few months). But, not a lot to dismay, this products could complement one another. TXB Selectin Inhibitors so far has shown only "significant decrease in Eosinophils in phase II, 21 patients study" Not a single reference was given about how clinical changes in the patients. Phase II studies are supposed to show some efficacy trend, but they called it IIa, maybe in the IIb they will go after some clinical parameters. TXB is an infant, the lead product is in doubt and I do not buy "they use it in Japan", needs American proof. At best, I will only consider this company with an approved Novastan (non-approvable letter is not the best way to start). Now, back to my observer status. cacaito