RE: Drugmakers prospect for Alzheimer''s gold
Just a note about the comment by the analyst. Elan has actually just started the Phaselll for aab-001 and is enrolling in conjunction with and at the same time as enrolling the Phasell for AZD-103/ELND005.
The Phasell for aab001 has not completed and the results are not due to be unblinded until mid-08. In May/07 there was an Interim Peek at the Phasell Trial, Privy only to a select few from the FDA--Elan and partner Wyeth (to keep the integrity of the Phasell Trial intact and blinded 'til the end) and the decision to design and proceed with a Phaselll was made by Elan and OK'd by the FDA & EMEA etc.
For the analyst to make animal study comments is really strange to me .....when not one of the Co.'s or agencies privy to the interim results would proceed with or allow a Phaselll if Efficacy and Safety were not strongly indicated!! The target with aab-001 is of course the Beta-Amyloid and showing Efficacy just SUBSTANTIATES THE WHOLE HYPOTHESIS and theory that attacking the beta-Amyloid Oligomers is an effective treatment..........and bodes very well for drugs such as AZD-103.
Cowen & Co. who has just initiated coverage of Transition echoes that sentiment in their Report........from the Cowen Report.....
TRANSITION THERAPEUTICS
INITIATING WITH OUTPERFORM
A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
Transition Therapeutics is an emerging
pharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics for
Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. Transition’s ELND-005 is partnered with Elan and has a number of characteristics that could potentially position the product as a best in class treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. We believe TTHI shares represent a relatively low risk/high reward opportunity.
BAPINEUZUMAB RESULTS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE FURTHER VALIDATION OF THE BETA-AMYLOID APPROACH----
Whether or not targeting beta-amyloid will prove to be an effective treatment for AD remains an open question.. We expect the first such results to arrive in mid-2008, when results from a 240- patient Phase II trial of Wyeth/Elan?s anti-beta-amyloid antibody, Bapineuzumab, are anticipated to be released.
In May 2007, following an interim (unpublished) look at the Phase II results, Wyeth/Elan decided to advance Bapineuzumab into Phase III trials. Our consultants believe the final Bapineuzumab Phase II results will be positive both from a safety and efficacy perspective. We believe a derivative impact of positive Phase II results for Bapineuzumab will be an increase in the overall level of enthusiasm for promising AD drugs targeting this general mechanism (beta-Amyloid), including ELND-005.
Alzheimers is a HUGE market for sure......no doubt about that.
gla