Archive for December, 2016
Northwest Biotherapeutics: DCVax-L Viewed Through the Eyes of Dr. Linda Liau, Lead Investigator on the Phase 3 Trial of DCVax-L (NWBO, $0.35, Buy)
Principal Takeaway Messages from This Report Dr. Linda Liau believes that use of DCVax-L can result in 25% of glioblastoma patients living four years or longer. This therapeutic effect is comparable to that seen with the checkpoint inhibitors Opdivo and Keytruda in certain refractory solid tumors and in her opinion should result in approval. She […]
Updating My Investment Thinking on Kite (KITE, Neutral, $47.63) and Juno (JUNO, Neutrl, 17.86) in the Aftermath of the ASH Meeting
Introduction to Report I was closely watching the Amercian Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting held during December 3 to 6 for any meaningful new data on the CAR-T products: Kite’s KTE-C19, Juno’s JCAR-015 and JCAR-017 and Novartis’ CTL-019. There wasn’t anything really earthshaking that came out of ASH, but there were a few tidbits of […]
Immuno-Oncology is Probably The Most Explosive Commercial Opportunity in All of BioPharma; My Investment Picks are Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY, Buy, $57.14) and Agenus (AGEN, Buy, $4.28))
Background Information on Checkpoint Modulation Let me provide background information that shapes my views on immuno-oncology before I get into my recommendation. The immune system has evolved over more than one billion years as a defense mechanism to protect humans and other life forms from pathogenic organisms that cause disease- notably bacteria, viruses, fungi and […]
My Current Investment Thinking on Kite (KITE, Neutral, $50.02) and Juno (JUNO, Neutral, $20.14) and the CAR-T Space as a Whole
Key Investment Conclusions I believe that Juno will cease development of JCAR-015 and turn to JCAR-017 as its lead CAR-T product. I estimate that this will result in Juno dropping two years behind Kite and Novartis in the race to commercialize CAR-T therapy for the crucial r/r DLBCL market. I believe that this late entry will […]
Cytokinetics: Results of COSMIC HF Published in The Lancet; Phase 3 GALACTIC HF Trial Has Started (CYTK, Buy, $12.00)
Key Points Results from the COSMIC HF phase 2 trial of omecamtiv mecarbil support the hypothesis that it improves heart function and (very importantly) reverses structural damage in patients with heart failure. Side effects are comparable to placebo. If these results are replicated in the GALACTIC-HF phase 3 trial, I believe that omecamtiv mecarbil has […]