RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:What did we learn here? We've actually got more than one measure of the potency of th1902 in this study. Not just inhibition of growth but measures of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Within the confines of these experiments all those measurements suggest th1902 has more (let's say) potency against CSC than docetaxel. In laymen terms that's the claim here. THTX are making no comparative statements about whether the results from these models and experiments are better or worse than th3 results from other models they have done in the past with non-CSC. JFM is doing exactly that. He's saying growth inhibition in a CSC model looks like a "relatively minor result" compared to tumour shrinkage in a complete different model. He's making the mistake of seeing growth inhibition and tumour shrink from different models as being on the same sliding scale and one being better than the other when in reality they are on completely different scales. Unfortunately there is a superficial appearance that they are on the same scale and JFM is falling for that. These researcher and THTX are not ever putting tumour growth inhibition in this model on the same graph as tumour shrinkage from another model and saying one is relatively minor to another, effectively that is what JFM is doing here. It's essentially a straw man of his own creation that he's then knocking down.
jfm1330 wrote: Tumor growth inhibition, in other words, slowing down growth speed, is not even stable disease on an animal model, so not close to tumor shrinkage. I understand that these CSCs are very resistant, but this is relatively minor result. It adds a thin layer of knowledge to the whole thing on animal models and genetically homogenous tumors, but it really does not mean much for real human patients.
For me the main thing I take from this PR, is that they were willing to publish it at this stage. Maybe I don't understand how it works in reality, but it seems to me that I would not publish positive results on animals if I would not already have some efficacy data in the phase Ib. If they have these efficacy signs in phase Ib, then it makes a lot of sense to publish this press release today. It's a way to send a signal that everything is on track. That's the way I see it, but again, it's only me.