| Kohl's Hosts Breast Cancer Event - Video More than 1,100 associates, family and friends represented Kohl’s Department Stores, the presenting sponsor of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk feedproxy.google.com |
Anthera's Lead Drug: A High-Risk, High-Reward Proposition Jason Chew submits: After the 2000 bubble and crash, the biotech IPO has finally begun to crack open a bit. First, Ironwood (IRWD) tested the waters in February with the largest IPO in two years. Anthera (ANTH) soon followed March 4, raising just $37.1 million after cutting its IPO price from the $13-$15 range to just $7. An additional $17.1 million was raised in a private placement to existing shareholders for a combined $54.2 million. It ended Q1 with $56.7 million. The stock closed at $6.60 Friday. Anthera has three drugs in clinical development: A-002 for Acute Coronary Syndrome, A-623 for Lupus, and A-001 for Acute Chest Syndrome. Since its IPO, Anthera has begun recruiting patients into a pivotal Phase III trial for its lead drug, A-002 (varespladib methyl). A-002 is a novel inhibitor of sPLA2, an isoform of PLA2 implicated in acute inflammation. sPLA2 is a very interesting target; inhibition of this enzyme is thought to block the synthesis of a family of pro-inflammatory mediators known as Eicosanoids, which include Prostaglandins and Leukotrienes. COX inhibitors such as Celebrex also have this activity, but have potential side effects. A-002 is a high-risk, high-reward proposition. The current trial will enroll 6500 patients and last 18 months. Anthera will need to bring a partner on board soon. And although its current Phase III trial is for Acute Coronary Syndrome, it has significant blockbuster potential as a cardiovascular treatment competing with the likes of Lipitor if it proves to be safe and shows improvements in efficacy. GSK has a similar compound in development now in a second Phase III trial. If approved, their drug, darapladib, is expected to reach sales of over $1 billion.Anthera’s market cap of $150 million reflects the risk embedded in its drug. If GSK’s darapladib does well, I would expect investors to warm up to Anthera’s A-002.Disclosure: No PositionComplete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Boston Scientific Corporation Q2 2010 Earnings Conference Call Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX)Q2 2010 Earnings Conference Call Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Options For Colon Cancer Screening Colonoscopy is the prevailing method of testing for colorectal cancer screening in the U.S., but two other options—and novel efforts by health care organizations—may improve low rates of screening. online.wsj.com |
POM Lambastes FTC Over Lawsuit POM Wonderful's Lynda Resnick says the maker of pomegranate juice will fight the FTC, which has filed suit over health claims made in the company's ads. online.wsj.com |