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Biotech / Medical : XOMA. Bull or Bear? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cacaito who wrote (9517)	4/4/1999 12:51:00 AM
From: Slugger	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 17367

Cacaito, Thanks for the number crunching, but something still doesn't make sense here. Original estimates by XOMA stated that they thought the trial would be completed after an enrollment of 130 patients (it was later revised to 200 and now stands at 380). In addition, XOMA has been telling us that the trial will be completed after a set level of mortality has been reached, not a set level of enrollment. Are the numbers saying that XOMA's original target was possibly as high as 57 deaths and that they expected that to be accomplished after only 130 patients? That would mean XOMA expected almost 2/3 of the placebo group to die! Awfully high, even for Meningo unless you are looking at the most severe cases. Could you plug in numbers for 130 patients and see what other mortality numbers might work?

To: Cacaito who wrote (9517)	4/4/1999 11:11:00 AM
From: Bluegreen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17367

>>>>>>The company said it had an agreement with a U.S. based biotechnology company to do a feasibility study into the project, but would not give any details about its partner. Julian Cooper, chief operating officer at PPL's Blacksburg, Virginia division, said the company was investigating the possibility of genetically engineering animals to produce natural peptides with antimicrobial properties in their milk. Antimicrobials work against small organisms including bacteria and viruses. This is in line with PPL's main business, which is genetically engineering animals to produce proteins, usually human proteins, in their milk. Cooper said he could give no details about the project but it was hoped, in a few years, that perhaps some kind of antibiotic mimicking the body's natural defenses could be produced. ''You just ask the animal to do it for you and we can make large quantities of many peptides very cheaply,'' he said in a telephone interview.<<<<< Cacaito, what possibilities do you see? Does anyone see the differences between the way rBPI21 is manufactured now and the way it might be produced if above pans out? I can't be the only one to see the possibilities can I? Doesn't quantities and cheaper mean anything anymore if above pans out?<g>