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Strategies & Market Trends : Rande Is . . . HOME -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ynot who wrote (6993)	5/17/1999 1:22:00 AM
From: BANCHEE	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 57584

ynot here is one for Mon.. biz.yahoo.com biz.yahoo.com And some more...Looks like good pops for MON.. Banchee DJS Scientists See Hope In New Class Of Cancer Drugs DJS Scientists See Hope In New Class Of Cancer Drugs By Robert Langreth, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal ATLANTA -- Researchers presented promising, although preliminary, results from the first human tests of several new cancer drugs that aim to target the disease's basic biological causes. Scientists say the drugs represent a potentially major advance over the mainstays of cancer treatment: surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The vast majority of chemotherapy drugs work indirectly, by poisoning fast-dividing cells; in the process they kill many normal cells and cause numerous toxic side effects, including severe nausea. By contrast, the new drugs narrowly target the genetic and biological drivers of the disease. Researchers are hopeful they will be far more powerful and far less toxic. At a cancer meeting here, numerous drug and biotechnology companies presented data from early clinical safety tests showing that the drugs appear to be safer than chemotherapy, although certainly not without side effects. While many of these early studies weren't designed to evaluate efficacy, some of the drugs showed glimmers of effectiveness. In several instances, they helped stabilize or reduce tumors in patients with very advanced cases, for significant periods of time. Top cancer scientists said it's far too early to tell whether any of the drugs will work. Much larger and longer-term trials are needed. But they said that there are so many powerful new approaches going into human testing that some will almost certainly succeed. "I can't imagine we aren't going to be making spectacular successes in the next 10 years," said Larry Norton, head of solid tumor oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York. Several companies presented results of early-stage tests of a new class of agents that aims to block a protein called EGF receptor, which is overabundant in many cancers and helps drive the growth of the cancer cells. In one small study, oncologists tested a drug called C225, being developed by ImClone Systems Inc., on patients with inoperable head and neck tumors. In combination with radiation, the medication was able to partly or completely eradicate tumors in all 15 patients. This compares with as much as a 50% response rate that would have been expected with radiation alone. ImClone has moved into much larger studies to confirm the drug's potential in a variety of tumors. While ImClone's drug is an antibody that must be injected, AstraZeneca PLC and Pfizer Inc. are racing to test oral drugs, which would be more convenient, against EGF. Another new class of drugs being tested by other companies aims to block the effects of a gene called "ras," which is mutated in many cancers. A third class of promising medications in early human tests at Sugen Inc. and other companies attempts to stop a tumor's ability to make blood vessels. In one unusual approach to blocking new blood vessels in tumors, University of Southern California researchers used a blood-vessel inhibiting drug taken through nose drops by patients with Kaposi's sarcoma, a skin cancer that often occurs in AIDS. The drug, IM862, significantly reduced tumors in 37% of 35 patients tested and is now in larger-scale tests. Separately, researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering presented new data from a large clinical trial confirming that advanced breast-cancer patients who received Genentech Inc.'s new drug Herceptin in combination with chemotherapy survived on average five months longer than those who received chemotherapy alone. Herceptin targets a protein, Her-2, that is overabundant in many breast-cancer cases. Copyright (c) 1999 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (:AZN) (:GNE) (:IMCL) (:PFE) (:SUGN) (:U.ASZ) (:Z.ROC)

To: ynot who wrote (6993)	5/17/1999 9:04:00 AM
From: Rande Is	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 57584

My opinion of your list is this: AOL goes down sharply over next few months, as does TUNE and all other internets. Oracle is a sort of turnaround play at this point. They seem to be actively trying to work themselves out of a rut. . .but I wonder if it is too little too late. . . so I am neutral on them. IBM has run hard of late [making our long port look good]. . .and I expect a pullback similar to MSFT, LU, INTC, MOT. . . all of which are worth getting near their lows and holding with both hands. MSFT has new Windows coming and is still the premier software company that is spending billions to make sure they their CE operating sys is used in the new set-top boxes. . .very smart. . . .IBM has their hands in many new areas that are cutting edge, I believe they Big Blue will return as a leader. . . LU is simply amazing. . . .INTC is branching off into developmental areas that service the broadband industry. . . you know how I feel about broadband. . .MOT is still being ignored and might be the one that sees the biggest gains of this group over the next 6 months. . .the whole wireless internet is strong with MOT, plus the cell phones and cable modems numbers are growing at incredible rates. . putting them right where they need to be. . . .about time. I don't know if today's blood will signal lows or if there is another coming. . . I feel as though the market is looking for reasons to drop, which tells me there will probably be more. Rande Is