Novartis Approval Novartis (NVS) product Fabhalta (iptacopan) is a Factor B inhibitor that acts in the proximate alternative complement pathway of the immune system, It provides comprehensive control of red blood cell (RBC) destruction within and outside the blood vessels (intra- and extravascular hemolysis.   Fabhalta treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) increased hemoglobin levels (≥ 2 g . . . This content is for paid …

From Novartis on April 20, 2023 The ALITHIOS open-label extension study demonstrated that continuous treatment with Kesimpta® (ofatumumab) for up to five years in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) was associated with reduced risk of disability progression versus those who switched later from teriflunomide to Kesimpta. Outcomes related to both disability progression and brain volume change up to five years favored earlier initiation of Kesimpta in people …

23andMe Aims To Raise Awareness of Lipoprotein(a), a Little-Known Genetic Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease March 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In support of Lipoprotein(a) Awareness Day, 23andMe Holding Co. (ME) announced a collaboration with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NVS) to increase awareness for Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)). The Information to Learn High levels of Lp(a) are associated with increased risk of heart attack, stroke and other life …

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) led the translation of RNA interference (RNAi) into a new class of innovative therapeutics, transforming the lives of people afflicted with rare and prevalent diseases with unmet needs. RNAi is a natural cellular process of gene silencing that represents  promising and rapidly advancing frontiers in biology and drug . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to …

The Bizarre Assessment of Biotech Firms in the Stock Market The Clinical-Stage Biotechnology Firms  We are witnessing inexplicable evaluations of clinical-stage biotechnology companies. Bizarre is the best description of this group’s assessment which is based on incomes that do not exist in biotech firms that are yet to have approved and marketed products anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, the most impacted firms by the bizarre …

Novartis Partial Clinical Trial Hold for OAV-101 IT for SMA Lifted Novartis (NVS) announced that the U.S. FDA has determined that OAV-101 intrathecal (IT) clinical trials for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients may proceed, thereby lifting the partial clinical trial hold initiated in October 2019. The decision to lift the hold was based on data from . . . This content is for paid subscribers. …

Novartis Positive Results for Radioligand Therapy, 177Lu-PSMA-617, for mCRPC Novartis (NVS) reported the first interpretable results of evaluating the efficacy and safety of 177Lu-PSMA-617, a targeted radioligand therapy, in patients with progressive PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) compared to the best standard of care alone. The good news is that the trial has met both primary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and radiographic progression-free …

Regenxbio Regenxbio (RGNX) announced that it is selling a portion of its royalty rights from the net sales of Zolgensma® by Novartis to entities managed by Healthcare Royalty Management, LLC (HCR) for $200 million. This transaction provides immediate, non-dilutive capital to Regenxbio in order continue the development of its gene therapy pipeline products and complete its internal manufacturing capabilities. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served …

Regenxbio Conference Call Information Regenxbio will host a conference call today, at 4:30 pm est today, November 4, 2020, to discuss its financial results for the quarter, ended September 30, 2020, and recent operational highlights. To access the live call by phone dial (855) 422-8964 (domestic) or (210) 229-8819 (international) and enter the passcode 4107819. To access a live or recorded webcast of the call …

Compugen Compugen (CGEN) announced the presentation of new research data that further support PVRIG as a potentially promising target for cancer immunotherapy. These data suggest that PVRIG inhibition may enhance T cell priming and infiltration into tumors and provide further evidence supporting the potential advantages of targeting PVRIG alone and in combination with TIGIT and PD-1 inhibitors, in tumors . . . This content is for …

Prohost Letter 442 The Whole World Against the Blind SARS-CoV-2 Virus Investors have no doubt profited from the developers of COVID-19 vaccines which include: Moderna (MRNA), Novavax (

Beyond the firms that are speeding towards bringing prophylactic vaccines against the COVID-19 infection into the clinic we have to consider the other firms that have been negatively affected by the virus pandemic; we expect them to rebound and surge when the virus loses its ability to kill. We decided to start with gene therapy companies that we believe have suffered from the delays of …

Regenxbio, Moderna and Others Regenxbio (RGNX) announced several poster presentations including interim data from its Phase I/II trial of RGX-121 for the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II (MPS II

Regenxbio Results from RGX-121 for MPSII Regenxbio (RGNX) announced interim data from Phase I/II trial of RGX-121 for Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II (MPS II). RGX-121 is designed to deliver the gene that encodes iduronate-2-sulfatase (I2S) enzyme directly to the central nervous system (CNS) using the AAV9 vector. About Mucopolysaccharidosis Type . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to log in.

Firstly, Forty-Seven and IVERIC bio  We remind that the two condemned stocks Forty-Seven (FTSV) and  IVERIC bio (

Novartis to Acquire The Medicines Company Novartis (NVS) decided to buy The Medicines Company (MDCO) at $6.8 million. The Medicines Company’s shareholders will be getting $85 per share in cash  – a 45% premium to its unaffected share price and a 57% premium to its unaffected one-week average price. The Transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020 The Medicines Company …

PTC Therapeutics Risdiplam Results for SMA PTC Therapeutics (PTCT) has positive results from part 2 of the SUNFISH trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the product risdiplam. The results demonstrate that the trial has met its primary endpoint of change from baseline after 1 year of treatment with risdiplam compared to placebo. The change was measured by the Motor . . . This content …

Regenxbio Misleading Selloff A selloff of Regenxbio (RGNX) stock, following the FDA’s partial hold on the intrathecal administration of AVXS-101, is unwarranted and totally misleading.   Why? Because the selloff of RGNX gave the impression that the gene therapy Zolgensma, using the adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector , developed by Regenxbio, has failed, which is not true. The partial hold was put only on the product …

The Week in Review #43 This Past Week After hearing hints about the trade war between China and the United States being avoided the market reversed course from faltering to flying at the speed of light. This trade war replaced all important factors that would usually affect the market performances. Unemployment is the lowest since 1969 and is expected to cause a bullish market, but …

RegenxBio Rebounding RegenxBio (RGNX) has the viral vectors which could safely deliver genes into the cells. The firm has improved the adeno-associated viruses making them safe and effective gene delivery vehicles. One of the three currently approved gene therapy products, Zolgensma® for pediatric spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), marketed by Novartis, used RegenxBio’s adeno-associated . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to …

Stock Market Volatility  Stocks can move up and down for various reasons but not all of them have anything to do with the real value of the firms. As a matter of fact, almost all stocks outperform for a while, reverse their course to underperforming, then restart the cycle. The stock market in its entirety does the same thing for reasons that have nothing to …

Prohost Letter #436 What Are We Experiencing Now? The bizarre market underperformance progressing rather than regressing and the good economy and the employment gains are the least utilized factors after being the most influential on the stock market performance. We are witnessing the most bullish analysts being confused, hesitating to give their followers a crystal clear explanation about the market’s skepticism, anger and volatility. The …

The Medicines Company ORION-10 Study for ASCVD The Medicines Company (MDCO) announced positive topline results from the ORION-10 Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The ORION-10 trial conducted with . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to log in.

Prohost Letter #435 The Value of the Biotech Companies A Continuation of Prohost Letter #434 A Recap The biotech near and long-term values, we insist, must be based on the firms’ scientific capabilities, products’ potentials and financial results. In the past months the stocks evaluations by bloggers, and some assessors, have been tailored to mislead investors into serving the purposes of the manipulators’ weird agendas. …

Diseases of the Back of the Eye Diseases of the back of the eye, such as: age-related wet macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, are currently managed with injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs into the gel-like substance (the vitreous humor) that fills the eye between the lens and the retina. The currently used age-related wet macular degeneration injections are: Lucentis, which belongs …

Gene Therapy Stocks Experiencing Selloffs  Every investor in the biotech sector must have experienced selloffs of the stocks from companies specialized in gene therapy, gene editing, antisense, RNAi and mRNA therapies. Recently, bluebird bio’s (BLUE) stock was devastated. The selloffs occurred for many reasons, most of . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to log in.

The Week in Review #41 We Are Still Witnessing … The bizarre market performance that started in early 2019: In the past couple of months the great enthusiasm and response of the market to the undeniably strong economic indicators and the lowest unemployment figures turned, for mysterious reasons, to a perturbed-looking volatile market beast. The biotech stocks have given back most of their deserved gains …

Prohost Letter #434 Special Issue The Value of the Biotech Companies With a strong economy and an unemployment rate reaching the lowest percentage in decades we are witnessing strange, if not bizarre, market performance since the beginning of 2019. From the early signs of economic strength the stock market reacted explicitly to positive, economic news. Later, the enthusiastic market turned dispirited and volatile. The biotech …

Rhythm Pharmaceuticals From Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (RYTM) we learned that positive, top-line results from two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating setmelanotide, for pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency obesities, have met their primary endpoints and all key secondary endpoints. The product demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful effect on weight loss and reductions in insatiable hunger, or hyperphagia, in patients with POMC and LEPR deficiency …

Gilead Sciences Activities There is no doubt that Gilead Sciences (GILD) is doing whatever it takes to expand, improve and upgrade its pipeline products. For the last couple of months, each and every week, we heard news about collaborations with some companies and investment in others as well as licensing products from large, medium-sized and small firms. In less than ten . . . This content is for …

Good News about Novartis’ Cosentyx® for Psoriatic Arthritis Novartis (NVS) has good news for Cosentyx®. Data emerging out 0f the FUTURE 5 clinical trial on patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) showed that there was no radiographic progression in around 90% of PsA patients who were treated with Cosentyx® (secukinumab) 300 mg, over 2 years. These data are being presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) on 12-15, June, in …

Zynteglo™ from bluebird bio Gets European Conditional Approval European marketing authorization for Zynteglo follows the fastest assessment of an advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) as part of the European Medicines Agency’s Priority Medicines (PRIME) program. Zynteglo is bluebird bio’s first gene therapy to gain regulatory approval. Gene therapy is, indeed, moving towards the clinic to provide cures; to save people from an early death from …

Zolgensma Findings The FDA submission of the gene therapy product Zolgensma was based on positive findings from a trial of 15 babies treated with it. Recently; however, at the Orlando meeting of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Novartis (NVS) presented interim results for 22 babies with Type 1 SMA which is considered the . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe …

Novartis Has More Promising Data from Their Phase 3 Gene Therapy Trial with AveXis AveXis Inc., a Novartis (NVS) company, announced positive interim data from its Phase 3 STR1VE trial of Zolgensma® (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xio (AVXS-101) gene therapy in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) Type 1. About Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to log in.

The Amgen/Novartis Story In May 2018 Amgen (AMGN) & Novartis (

Prohost Letter #430 Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gilead The FINCH 1 trial: Has it reached its primary endpoints? How did the drugs respond as compared to placebo; what is the disability index, clinical remission, disease activity rate and safety results? What’s happening with Gilead’s HIV product? Read about Gilead’s collaboration with Galapagos. See how Prohost answers these questions in this issue #430 of the Prohost Letter. …

The Market is Outperforming Today. There is important news today about Novartis; part of which we are posting now. There is still more news related to Novartis as well as other biotech and biopharmaceutical companies. All will be in the upcoming Prohost Letter #430. We believe that the news we are posting will have a positive impact on the firms that announced them. Today’s news …

The Week in Review #39 During the Departed Week Three Prohost Portfolio Picks Hit Their 52-Week Highs The three picks referred to in the above title are, Novartis (NVS), Array (AARY) and Ionis (IONS). Previous Prohost Letters discussed Novartis and Array and continued to remind that they are Prohost favorites. The time has come to take a deeper look at Ionis; starting with the reasons …

CRISPR Therapeutics' (CRSP) stock added around $8 today while reporting financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2018. Here is what Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of CRISPR Therapeutics, has stated,“This past year was truly transformational for CRISPR Therapeutics as we achieved milestones across our key programs in β-thalassemia, sickle cell disease and immuno-oncology. We’re pleased with the progress we’ve made in …

The United States FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to AMT-061. The European Medicines Agency gave it access to the Priority Medicine (PRIME) regulatory initiative. Gene therapy firm, uniQure (QURE), announced updated clinical data in patients treated in the ongoing Phase 2b study of AMT-061; an investigational AAV5-based gene therapy containing a patent-protected  FIX9-Padua (Factor 9) for the treatment of patients with severe and moderately severe hemophilia B. The announced data, which …

Now You See it, Now You Don’t Deliberate Omissions of Real Facts Real facts might be displayed or concealed depending on the news announcers’ or bloggers’ self-interests. The following contains cases of deliberate or unintentional omission of facts that led to the decline of fundamentally sound biotech and biopharmaceutical firms in bullish market during the departed trading week . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please …

Prohost Letter #425 When Common Sense Fails to Explain the Market Performance It is not unusual for the stock market to be in a selloff mood for a few days. However, in the last couple of months, the market unexpectedly plunged deep into the ocean of the unknown. The exaggerated volatility was nerve-wracking for professional analysts. This is especially true for candid analysts who base …

The Week in Review #34 Improving on Immunotherapy and preventing one of its serious side effects. Removal of glutamine leads to a substantial reduction in cell growth or induces cell death in certain types of cancer cells, indicating that these cells are dependent on, or "addiected" to, glutamine. Normal cells do not depend much on glutamine . . . This content is for paid subscribers. …

IMMUNOTHERAPY  The Checkpoint Inhibitors The most revered news was the discovery of the checkpoint proteins on the surface of the immune system cells. The checkpoint proteins’ natural job is to put a break on the immune system cells to prevent them from attacking people’s own body cells. An immune attack on host cells can lead to disabling and life-threatening autoimmune diseases. Long before the scientists …

Prohost Letter #424 Following the Stars Less Science and More Logic We reiterate that while a human star is born every once in a while on Earth, several stars born daily in research labs may be designated every other day by the FDA and other health regulatory agencies around the world. These agencies call these potential stars’ breakthrough drugs, but not all the molecules designated …

The Week in Review #31 IN THE DEPARTED WEEK NOVEL MIGRAINE DRUGS ARE APPROVED ELI LILLY AFTER AMGEN AND TEVA In less than five months, the FDA approved three products belonging to four drug developers – all targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) for the prevention of migraine headache. The latest for Eli Lilly (LLY) last week . . . This content is for paid subscribers. …

Novartis’ (NVS) financials results exceeded analysts’ expectations. The firm’s research institutions’ strategy, well-designed structure, plans for innovation and accurate execution led to a wealthy and competitive pipeline with more than 200 projects in clinical development. Novartis is flying into the future finding its way to more effective treatments and possible cures. As a matter of fact, Novartis is at the end of the road towards …

Incyte (INCY) announced positive topline results from its pivotal Phase 2 REACH1 trial evaluating ruxolitinib (Jakafi®) in combination with corticosteroids for patients with steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The study met its primary endpoint, with a 55% overall response rate (ORR) at Day 28. In addition, the best overall response rate (BORR), the number of patients achieving a response at any time point during the …

The Week in Review #23  ASCO  2018 - Small  publicly-­traded  oncology  biotech  firms,  large  oncology  biotech  firms,  and  giant  biopharmaceutical  firms,  in  addition  to  some  private  biotech  companies,  all  presented  results  and  observations  about  their  cancer  drugs  at  the  2018  American  Society  of  Clinical  Oncology  (ASCO)   meeting.  Most  presentations  were  useful,...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Amgen’s (AMGN) new once a month drug Aimovig™ (erenumab-aooe) for the prevention and treatment of migraine in adults. Aimovig is the first and only FDA-approved treatment specifically developed to prevent migraine. The drug blocks calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor (CGRP-R) believed to play a critical role in the occurrence of migraine. The drug will be marketed by Amgen and Novartis (NVS).  Aimovig 70 mg is …

The Week in Review #21 Part 1 THE MARKET - Like symphonic orchestras that bring to the listeners’ ears, minds and souls melodies composed by legendary authors, the stock market reflects what’s going on in the world, which would positively or negatively impact the lives and well being of the earth’s residents . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to …

NOVARTIS TO ACQUIRE AVEXIS A few months ago, Novartis (NVS) CEO agreed to cash out of the company’s consumer health joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which brought in cash intended to further improve and expand Novartis’ pipeline. Here we are. Yesterday, Novartis announced its intention to acquire the gene therapy firm AveXis (AVXS) at $8.7 billion, paying $218 for each share of this firm. In a conference call on Monday, …

The Week in Review #20 THE MARKET - My friend asked: “Are  you  scared?” “Of  what?” I asked “The  market?” The  market? No,” I  said.  We are afraid of those who are rendering the market nervous and  temporarily confused, as we observed while monitoring its volatility.  The market has never been chronically confused . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to …

Amgen (AMGN): Phase 3b results from LIBERTY study assessing the safety and efficacy of Aimovig™(erenumab) 140 mg in patients with an episodic migraine who had experienced two to four previous preventive treatment failures demonstrate that the study met its primary and secondary endpoints.    With regard to meeting the primary endpoint, the results demonstrate that patients on Aimovig experienced at least a 50 percent reduction from baseline in …

The Treatment is Not A New Way as Being Stated, It is Only the Target, Which Has Been Changed   Outstanding news announced that leukemia patients who relapsed after being treated with the chimeric receptor antigen T cell (CAR T) targeting CD-19 were saved from imminent death by a CAR T targeting CD-22. The new treatment, which is being presented in some articles as a …

The Week in Review #11 A New Era - Faster than the speed of light, the management of diseases is shifting from fast improvement to a total gigantic unprecedented change. Some of the conquering approaches towards providing long-­lasting cures look as if the outcome of magic rather than mere science . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to log …

Important news has come from the FDA, which issued new guidelines to speed the introduction of treatments with human cells and tissues, including gene therapy. Cracking down on rogue clinics offering dangerous or unproven versions of gene therapy or stem cell therapy is also included in the report. Scott Gottlieb, the commissioner of the FDA stated that regenerative medicine and other important gene therapy treatments …

The Week in Review #7 A lot more happened in the past week regarding improving the treatment of cancer and of other devastating diseases. This issue contains discoveries that aim at improving breakthrough immuno-­oncology treatment outcomes. Here are some of the breakthrough technologies and treatments that might improve, by-­far, the management of cancer . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to …

Prohost Letter #413 FROM BIOTECH TO BIOPHARMA - New research, new findings, new discoveries of trustworthy and doubtful biomarkers more understanding of genomics and proteomics, in addition to more breakthrough diagnostic procedures, are all gifts of the life-science revolution. This revolution started with molecular biology, the discovery of the DNA and its functions, which was the prelude to genomic understanding, gene sequencing, and genetic engineering and …

In the news, the FDA has placed a clinical hold on two phase 1 trials of Cellectis’ (CLLS) off- the-shelf product UCART123 after the death of a 78-year old patient. Cellectis is working with the FDA towards finding ways that help mitigate the risks expected to have caused the fatality. We experienced deaths with other CAR T products with the cytokine release syndrome on the …

The answer is, indeed, Gilead (GILD) and its CAR T drug approval will be for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). This is true, as in May, the FDA has accepted for priority review Kite Pharma’s Biologics License Application (BLA) for its genetically engineered Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR-T) product axicabtagene ciloleucel. The submission follows positive data demonstrated after a single infusion of axicabtagene ciloleucel in the …

When what you predicted, preached, and wished are realized, this is good news. Today’s news is bringing all Prohost predictions into realization, Yes, Kite (KITE) is on its way to be acquired by Gilead (GILD) and yes both stocks have rallied and yes Juno (JUNO) is also rallying on the Kite’s news because both firms are pioneers in the CAR-T Immunotherapy technology and drugs. Rallied …

Xoma (XOMA) stock rallied surprising many but not all. We put this firm in a special table called aggressive portfolio where we put of firms with strong scientific and technological fundamentals that, for bad reasons, or trials and errors reasons have underperformed. With all its past history where past management’s sins overshadowed its science and scientists’ obvious clear capabilities, we never kicked XOMA out of …

Prohost Letter #412 Part 3 GLIOBLASTOMA - Is There Hope? Senator John McCain was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, glioblastoma – the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer. The cancer is so aggressive that most surgeries did not provide survival. This brain cancer affects around 3 people out of 100,000 in the U.S., with men more than women and whites more than other …

A BIG YES for Novartis CAR-T product has come from the  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee. The committee recommended FDA approval for Novartis product CTL019 for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The Vote: The panel voted 10-0 in favor of approval. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, (CAR-T- Cell therapy) is an immunotherapy that enables the immune system T cells to seek, reach and attack cancer …

Arena (ARNA) announced positive Phase 2 clinical trial results for its drug ralinepag1 for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In the 61-patient study, the primary efficacy analysis demonstrated a statistically significant absolute change from baseline in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) compared to placebo. Ralinepag also demonstrated numerical improvement in 6-minute walk distance (6MWD). Additionally, adverse events observed in the study were consistent with other prostacyclin treatments for …

As we wrote in Prohost Letter #409, a transformation in this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting (ASCO) is further elaborating on Checkpoint inhibition and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) approaches’ limitations. Both are attempts towards making Immunotherapy for cancer a successful treatment. Checkpoint inhibitors have reached the market at the hands of Merck, Bristo-Myers Squibb and Roche, with other firms coming forward with products …

It is obvious that the CAR-T approach to cancer treatment is here to stay and to change the way cancer has been managed for decades. Attempts to improve the novel elegant procedure safety profile and efficacy on solid cancers are being pursued by academia as well as by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Kite Pharma’s (KITE) CAR-T therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel is an investigational therapy in which …

Novartis signed two different separate licensing agreements with two development-stage firms, Bluebird (BLUE) and Celyad (CYAD). The signing of the agreements, enabled Novartis to license the two firm’s proprietary technologies, both related to improving Novartis’ genetically engineered immunooncology CAR- T cells. CELYAD The Celyad/Novartis Agreement Celyad announced a non-exclusive license agreement with Novartis for its US patents issued for the production of allogeneic CAR-T cells. …

Prohost Letter #407 AT A GLANCE - Firms Added to Prohost Portfolio PROHOST IS PICKING NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES   On March 27, a few days before the FDA approves Neurocrine’s (NBIX) drug Ingrezza, (valbenazine) capsules for adults with tardive dyskinesia (TD), we posted an article titled “Time for Transformation and Achievements”. In the article, we stated that Neurocrine Sciences Ingrezza will highlight Neurocrine Biosciences and its …

CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY 2 Nonstop Improvements and Nonstop Discoveries In CAR-T Immunotherapy As we said in the article about checkpoint inhibition as cancer immunotherapy, the approaches that aim at enabling the immune system to fight cancer cells were created to stay and improve and become the gold standard for cancer treatment. Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapeutics are speeding their way towards approval in 2017. …

Prohost Letter #406 A Special Prohost Issue SYNOPSIS REASONS FOR THE FOLLOWING PROHOST PICKS RALLIES VERTEX Vertex (VRTX): Great news about 2016 revenues & earnings Growth and pipeline. FROM YESTERDAY: Tremendous Revenues Growth. Cystic fibrosis (CF) revenues grew up around 75%. FOR TOMORROW:  Boosting  the  pipeline  value  by Advancing CF novel correctors into Phase 2 trials while Producing and advancing new CF correctors. PROJECTIONS: Continued …

Prohost Letter #405 Synthetic Biology (3) We have already decided upon becoming shareholders the day synthetic biology firm called Synthetic Genomics turns public. We reiterate that firms specialized in synthetic biology are numerous private and publicly traded. Some are promising, others are walking in place and a few have plummeted. With the general underperformance of synthetic biology stocks, many shareholders abandoned ship. Investors felt that …

We keep reiterating that CAR-T cancer immunotherapy was created to stay. More frequent updates about the CAR-T approach further solidified our conviction. Almost every week we are getting news eliminating layer by layer of the true problems about CAR-T therapy that transplanted skepticism in investors’ minds towards a successful outcome of this novel immunotherapy approach to cancer treatment. The two essential problems that instilled the …

Incyte Announces a Multi-year Research Collaboration with the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. The aim of the agreement with Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania as Incyte (INCY) stated in the press release is to bring together the knowledge and expertise of both collaborators scientists. This cooperation will enable conducting collaborative research in order to advance the understanding of cancer …

Making Sure that CAR-T Therapy for Cancer Succeeds Academic Researchers Identify a New Process to Raise Natural Armies of Cancer-Targeting T Lymphocytes Outside the Body Unleashing More Power to the Immune System to Fight All Types of Cancers GOOD NEWS FOR CAR-T IMMUNOTHERAPY DEVELOPERS Researchers from Mayo Clinic and the University of Washington have developed a new culture process to improve the efficacy of engineered …

Prohost Letter #404 Part 2 Synthetic Biology (2) A Brief History DNA is the software of life. This is how Synthetic Genomics firm, which we believe is now is the leading biotech firm for applied synthetic biology. Synthetic Genomics is still a private firm in spite of that thousands of investors are impatiently waiting for it to turn public and it will. So stay tuned. …

A few months ago, we heard news that a Belgium firm called Celyad (CYAD) has concluded a deal worth over $300 million with Ono Pharmaceutical. The deal gives Ono the rights to Celyad’s allogeneic NKR-2 T-cell immunotherapy in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. This news did not mean a lot to investors as Celyad had yet to recover from a heartbreaking  setback in a late phase trial …

The FDA advisory committee members’ inability to rule for or against the approval of Valeant (VRX) anti plaque psoriasis drug brodalumab was not unexpected. However, more outside observers were expecting the committee to flatly reject the skin disease drug that would subject people to commit suicide or to cardiovascular side effects, including death. Indeed, the discussions were mostly about the drug’s side effects specifically the …

Le CompaGnon Part 2 Wednesday June 22, 2016 From the  American Society of  Clinical  Oncology (ASCO)               Checkpoint inhibitors the CAR T Approach Adoptive cell therapy Oncolytic virus therapy Therapeutic vaccines Cytokines. Le CompaGnon Part 1 dealt with: - The two firms, MERK and BMY, who were the first to get approvals of their checkpoint inhibitors. These two . . . This content is for paid …

Pfizer (PF) terminated its acquisition agreement with Allergan Plc (AGN) The new set of rules released by the U.S. Treasury Department to make it difficult for U.S. companies to conduct tax inversions contributed Pfizer’s decision. Analysts noted that the new regulations seem almost directly aimed at Pfizer-Allergan. In one of two major parts of the new rules, the U.S. government would not consider the assets acquired …

The Diagnosed Dead Is Far from Dying Xoma (XOMA): Stock rallied following report announcing an upfront payment from Novartis, which multiplied the firm’s revenues 10 times over 2014. Novartis paid Xoma $37 million, Novo Nordisk paid $5 million and Pfizer paid the firm a little less than $4 million. CEO John Varian said, “Novel antibodies and technologies created by XOMA scientists to target diseases such as …

Recent Breakthrough Designated Products CANCER Acute Myeloid Leukemia PKC412 (midostaurin) developed by Novartis AG (NVS) is an oral, multi-targeted kinase inhibitor for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with FLT3 mutations. It is also being studied for aggressive systemic mastocytosis/mast cell leukemia. FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) is a cell-surface receptor for tyrosine kinase, which has a role in the upsurge of certain blood cell types. The drug has positive data …

Prohost Letter #390 COMPANIES USING CRISPR GENE EDITING TOOLS - The Firms Launched with CRISPR Patents Either Pending or Disputed! What Does This Mean? What are these Firms’ Priorities? But First: A Reminder In the last issue, Prohost #389, we pinpointed the gene editing technologies and techniques and demonstrated the difference between gene editing, which is genetic engineering, i.e., making changes in the genes themselves, and antisense …

Improving the management of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases has been a dream that seems to be happening slowly but surely in the past years. The improvement has gained energy and speed in 2015. The advancement in treatments has been demonstrated on several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn’s disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and many other autoimmune diseases. Psoriasis   …

– Exclusively licenses global rights to its (TGFb) antibody program to Novartis  – Could the lucrative agreement spare Xoma the pain of raising money for developing its programs, or filing bankruptcy?  – Reasons to believe that Xoma’s TGFb therapeutic antibodies might become another cancer immunotherapy used alone or in combination with immune checkpoint protein inhibitors such as PD-1 inhibitors, which are considered game changers in …

Prohost Letter #375 Part 2 Novel Breakthrough Cancer Immunotherapy Approaches PART 2 In Part 1 of this issue, we described the immunotherapy approach that aims at modulating immune checkpoint proteins, thus unleashing the T cells to do their natural task of detecting, attacking and eliminating cancer cells. The approach is a success, as we reiterated, with greatly encouraging results. Researchers in large oncology centers and drug …