RE:RE:Hiring Spree Playing devils advocate, scientists are relatively cheap (I'm saying that as one). And yes you do say "we terminate you". As an example I worked one biotech were everybody was on one year contracts that got renewed if they were needed. Joyously they choose Christmas as the time you learned your fate. Ho, ho, ho!
I definitely think they are serious about siRNA based on this hiring but it's a stretch to think this is proof things are going perfectly in the trial.
jfm1330 wrote: Again. You don't start a formal search for a siRNA specialist to do PDCs with siRNAs if you don't have a proof of concept about your peptide (TH19P01). Imagine, you hire the specialist, but a few weeks after you come out with no proof your concept works. What do you do then? Sorry, we terminate you? No!
By proof of concept I mean efficacy in real patients proving that the peptide binds quickly to sortilin, is internalized, and then the drug released free in the cell under active form at high concentration.
longterm56 wrote: So what would give THTX enough confidence in their finances to create & fill all these new positions (when they know the convert is coming due and the clinicals need funding)? One could say "they know the Phase 1a trial is going well and they may be able to obtain financing from that good news." But I don't think they would commit significant financial resources for a "might be able to." with all other known expenses.
It must be something more objective ... like maybe an "almost signed deal" in cancer or NASH that they know actual $$ amounts. Anything less would be quite risky and possibly put you in need of another ONO.
This certainly gives me hope ...
-LT