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

To: Cacaito who wrote (737)	11/24/1998 2:07:00 PM
From: Dauntless	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 834

Cacaito - thanks for your information Here's what I understand about the portfolio Novastan is a thrombin inhibitor, Aggrastat is a platelet inhibitor. Novastan is primarily intended for HIT & that is seen to be a big enough market to get the SK deal. Stroke is thought to be another future application - this is what it is used for in Japan. There is also the possibility for off label uses as physicians gain familiarity with the drug - angioplasty, etc - I understand that one of it's biggest appeals is its short half life which makes it easy to control & therefore safe. The competitive HIT drug is much more expensive and has a high allergic response. Novastan probably will not be a blockbuster, but will make $$$ and give credibility to the company. The Endothelin compound is extremely attractive because it has beneficial effects on the right side of the heart - it has been shown to reduce pulmonary pressures. It could be used on a 1:1 basis with the various ACE inhibitors for this reason. Huge potential for this if it continues to work out well. The Selectin product has shown an ability to open the airway - even more than some of the recently approved asthma drugs. There is another anti-inflammatory compound that may work even better and may work as an oral med. The asthma market is also huge - especially for an oral product. If you're saying that TXB is a small start-up with no approved products - you're obviously correct. If you choose to wait before investing until Novastan is approved - that's your decision & I'm sure it is part of an overall plan for your portfolio. You will pay a higher price assuming Novastan is approved. All biotechs at this stage are very risky. IMHO, if one is in the position to take biotech risks, the present status of Novastan and the pipeline of products behind it make this a pretty good potential investment.