Exelixis is Expanding Cohorts for COSMIC-021, the Phase 1b Trial for Cabozantinib  From Exelixis (EXEL) we learned about its decision to expand the two original cohorts, and the addition of four new cohorts, to the protocol for COSMIC-021; the phase 1b trial of cabozantinib (CABOMETYX®) in combination with atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ®) in patients with locally advanced or . . . This content is for paid subscribers. …

Exelixis and Daiichi Sankyo launched their novel anitihypertension product Minnebro® in Japan Exelixis (EXEL) and Daiichi Sankyo (

Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Product Kalydeco for CF in Young Children Good news for Vertex (VRTX) product Kalydeco® (ivacaftor) is the first cystic fibrosis (CF) product to be prescribed for children ages six months to less than 12 months. Beneficiary children are those who have at least one mutation in their . . . This content is for paid subscribers. Please click here to subscribe or here to log in.

Exelixis & Aerie Have Good News Exelixis’ Good News about Cabometyx Takeda Pharmaceuticals applied to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) for approval to manufacture and to sell Exelixis’ (EXEL)product Cabometyx® (cabozantinib) for unresectable and metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Japan. The submission brings $10 million in milestone payments to Exelixis from Takeda in the second quarter of 2019. Takeda’s application …

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 …

Thanks to abundant cabozantinib sales’ revenues Exelixis (EXEL) is advancing a new generation of its medicines with its new product XL092 entering clinical trials. The drug is a next-generation oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets VEGF receptors & MET and was the subject of an active Investigational New Drug (IND) application the firm had submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December …

Keytruda and Cabometyx Are Both Winners Keytruda failed to meet co-primary endpoints in Pivotal Phase 3 trial The pivotal Phase 3 KEYNOTE-240 trial evaluating Keytruda, Merck’s (MRK) checkpoint inhibitor anti-PD-1 therapy plus best supportive care, for the treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were previously treated with systemic therapy, did not meet its co-primary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival …

Exelixis’ (EXEL) financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2018 are as inspiring as they are outstanding compared to many other small biotech firms that succeeded in putting products on the market. Revenues  Exelixis total revenues for the quarter ended December 31, 2018 were $228.6 million, compared to $120.1 million for the comparable period in 2017. Total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2018 were $853.8 million, compared to $452.5 million for the comparable period in 2017. The …

More good news came  from Exelixis (EXEL). It was expected by many but not by those who ignore the good news in favor of any negative news or lack of news. The announced news is that the FDA approved Exelixis’ Cabometyx® (cabozantinib) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients who have been previously treated with sorafenib. More good news is Exelixis’ announcement that the firm is prepared to fully support the …

Exelixis collaborator, Daiichi Sankyo, Receives Regulatory Approval for MINNEBRO™ (Esaxerenone) Tablets for Hypertension in Japan Exelixis (EXEL) and Daiichi Sankyo announced that the the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved Minnebro™ (esaxerenone) tablets of ,1.25 mg, 2.5 mg, and 5 mg, for hypertension. Minnebro was identified during a prior research collaboration between Exelixis and Daiichi Sankyo, which was entered into in March 2006. The product has been subsequently developed …

Exelixis (EXEL) and Ipsen (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY) announced the initiation of COSMIC-312. A phase 3 pivotal trial of cabozantinib (CABOMETYX®) in combination with atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ®) versus sorafenib, in previously untreated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The co-primary endpoints of the trial are: progression-free survival and overall survival. An exploratory arm will also evaluate cabozantinib monotherapy in this first-line setting. COSMIC-312 is a multicenter, randomized, controlled phase 3 pivotal trial that …

This is just to inform that Europe has approved Cabometyx® (cabozantinib) tablets as a monotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As you know, Cabometyx belongs to Exelixis (EXEL). Today Exelixis announced that its partner, Ipsen, received approval of the drug, from the European Commission (EC), to be used in adults who have HCC and have previously been treated with sorafenib. This approval allows for the marketing of Cabometyx in this indication in …

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. …

Yesterday, the Stock Market skyrocketed and with it a significant number of Prohost Picks that we keep reminding ourselves are undervalued. The outperformance unveiled the interred strength of firms such as: Illumina (ILMN), Amgen (AMGN) and Vertex (VRTX), the gene therapy firms: RegenxBio (RGNX) and Spark (ONCE), and the gene editing firms: Crispr (CRSP), Intellia (NTLA) and Editas (EDIT), as well as others in the Prohost Portfolio. The rebounding in the …

Exelixis (EXEL) provided an update that testified to its solid fundamentals, the growth of its approved products’ sales, the professionalism and seriousness of its management. Revenues: Exelixis’ total quarter revenues were $225.4 million vs. $152.5 million for the comparable period in 2017. Its net product sales revenues were $162.9 million for the quarter compared to $96.4 million for the comparable period in 2017, which represents a 69 percent increase year-over-year. …

The Week in Review #32 POSITIVE NEWS PROTEOSTASIS THERAPEUTICS Cystic Fibrosis Two days ago, a clinical-­stage small firm called Proteostasis Therapeutics (PTI) announced positive preliminary results from ongoing Phase 1 cystic fibrosis studies. The trial involved the firm’s proprietary combination therapy doublet, PTI-­808 + PTI-­801...

Exelixis (EXEL) announced its initiation of a phase 3 pivotal trial (COSMIC-311) of Cabometyx (cabozantinib) in patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) who have progressed after two prior vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-targeted therapies. The co-primary endpoints for the trial are progression-free (PFS) survival and objective response rate (ORR). Why conducting trial on patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer.    Differentiated thyroid tumors make up …

Exelixis’ (EXEL) partner Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Canada Inc. received approval of Cabometyx®(cabozantinib) tablets from Health Canada for adults with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy. Health Canada had granted Cabometyx priority review status, which resulted in the accelerated review of Ipsen’s new drug submission. Explaining the importance of Cabometyx’s additional approval, Michael M. Morrissey, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer …

The Week in Review #29 PROHOST AGGRESSIVE PORTFOLIO  - The aggressive portfolio hosts biotech firms with solid scientific fundamentals and prominent scientists whose stocks have plummeted following some setbacks. A setback could be a failure of an investigational product to meet the endpoints of its clinical trial or that the small biotech firm has taken long to achieve its goals . . . This content …

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) announced that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee’s (PBAC) in Australia recommendation the listing of Orkambi® (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The recommendation is for cystic fibrosis people ages six and over who have two copies of the F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Many thousands of patients worldwide are already receiving lumacaftor/ivacaftor in countries where it is reimbursed …