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Biotech / Medical : Sepracor-Looks very promising -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: j_fir2 who wrote (1852)	2/26/1999 1:33:00 PM
From: BMcV	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 10280

You're right that the Allegra/Seldane model doesn't apply to every "switch" SEPR is contemplating, as for example in the case of Prozac. The model, however, does fit norcisapride/Propulsid, a billion dollar drug, and also norastemizole/ Hismanal, which has characteristics that could make it the best-selling allergy medication. I believe it also applies to Sporanox and Zofran ICEs. It is also true that in other cases, the main thing SEPR will have going for its versions will be the marketing effort the partner can mount, or the brand equity already built up, as with Prozac or Claritin, where the actual improvement may be less dramatic. That's why the deals signed with the parents of those drugs are so important. In some cases the therapeutic effect won't be separable from the undesirable side effects, since the latter are a consequence of the mechanism by which the former works. You've probably seen the interesting discussion with Neuroguy on Yahoo about the likelihood that Prozac 2 will cause the same sexual problems as the original. The work that SEPR is doing shows how far chemistry has come in just the past few years. When all these original drugs were patented 10 or 20 years ago, there was no clear picture how they worked in the body. All SEPR is doing is applying modern chemical techniques rework old ground. It's a little like mining companies that don't mine ore but reprocess mine tailings. Sometimes will there be something there, sometimes there won't; sometimes it will be one thing, sometimes another. The most important thing for us is that SEPR has put a stake on its claim, so until they decide to move on, they will have exclusive rights to work there. Not that anyone pays attention to these little moves any more, but we're up 6 as I write.