Biotech Tracker News - ASH American Society of Hematology Review
December 02, 2002 Dr. Leon Henderson will be attending the American Society of Hematology meeting in Philadelphia beginning this Friday. We expect the most valuable presentations to be related to Millennium’s (NASDAQ: MLNM) Velcade and AstraZeneca’s (NYSE: AZN) Exanta. Presentations should also benefit Celgene (NASDAQ: CELG), IDEC (NASDAQ: IDPH), Genentech (NYSE: DNA), Novartis (NYSE: NVS), Sanofi Synthélabo (NYSE: SNY), and Corvas (NASDAQ: CVAS).  Although we are seeing less frequent release of new data that immediately impact developmental drugs, major medical meetings are forums for medical expert interaction and appraisal that influence drug usage. We also often see confirmation or rejection of less formally presented material.  Millennium’s Velcade will be the topic of considerable discussion as a more complete phase II data set is revealed, supporting ongoing phase III efforts in multiple myeloma management. Velcade is a novel cancer therapeutic that functions by inhibiting the proteasome, an intracellular garbage processing plant.  Several anticoagulant drugs will be discussed at the meeting. AstraZeneca’s Exanta, a direct thrombin inhibitor, is beginning to demonstrate its future place as an oral anti-blood clotting alternative to Sanofi and Organon’s Arixtra, a parenteral direct thrombin inhibitor. Arixtra needs to continue to distinguish itself from both marketed anticoagulants as well as Exanta and Corvas’s rNAPc2. rNAPc2, an injectable anticoagulant derived from nematodes might find the path of least resistance to market the management of coronary arterial clots as opposed to the venous clot focus of Arixtra and Exanta. Evidence of rNAPc2’s efficacy in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary interventions will generate extensive dialogue.  Novartis will present Gleevec data that, while mostly confirmatory, will refine its place in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) care. More exciting is Novartis’s ICL670, an agent whose merits in thalassemia management will be presented at the plenary session.  IDEC, Genentech, and Roche’s Rituxan continues to demonstrate broad label-expanding potential. Celgene’s Thalomid continues to generate data that will define appropriate use. Farnesyl transferase inhibition, therapeutic nitric oxide, anti-multi drug resistance therapy, and microarray analysis are also key topics impacting the hematology market.  Please contact Shannan Pratt at 858.200.2394 (mention BioPortfolio as your source) if you will be attending ASH and wish to meet with Dr. Henderson, or if you have particular presentations you would like us to monitor. We will publish a special BT Report with comprehensive analysis of important ASH presentations immediately following the meeting.
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