Portola Portola Pharmaceuticals (PTLA) announced that it will host a webcast and conference call to provide an update on its anticoagulant Factor Xa inhibitor Bevyxxa® (betrixaban) launch plans, the validation of the commercial manufacturing process and drug release timing. Conference Call Details: The live conference call will be held today, Tuesday, September 5, 2017, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (1:30 p.m. PT). It can be accessed by …

The answer is, indeed, Gilead (GILD) and its CAR T drug approval will be for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). This is true, as in May, the FDA has accepted for priority review Kite Pharma’s Biologics License Application (BLA) for its genetically engineered Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR-T) product axicabtagene ciloleucel. The submission follows positive data demonstrated after a single infusion of axicabtagene ciloleucel in the …

When what you predicted, preached, and wished are realized, this is good news. Today’s news is bringing all Prohost predictions into realization, Yes, Kite (KITE) is on its way to be acquired by Gilead (GILD) and yes both stocks have rallied and yes Juno (JUNO) is also rallying on the Kite’s news because both firms are pioneers in the CAR-T Immunotherapy technology and drugs. Rallied …

Xoma (XOMA) stock rallied surprising many but not all. We put this firm in a special table called aggressive portfolio where we put of firms with strong scientific and technological fundamentals that, for bad reasons, or trials and errors reasons have underperformed. With all its past history where past management’s sins overshadowed its science and scientists’ obvious clear capabilities, we never kicked XOMA out of …

New Discoveries in Neurodegenerative Diseases  Everyday is another day that can totally differ from the previous day with regard to increasing researchers’ capabilities of discovering new pathways of diseases and turning their new discoveries into far-reaching treatments. The tireless revolution in life sciences has uncovered treasures of knowledge that has been buried for centuries in the graves of the unknown. The wealth of knowledge being …

EXELIXIS Exelixis’ (EXEL) shareholders know well how good are the firm’s announced financial results for the second quarter of 2017. They also know well how good is the update presented by the firm about the progress made towards fulfilling its commercial and clinical development milestones. Exelixis report left no reason for complaining, criticizing or downgrading the firm’s stock. As a matter of fact, the presentation …

CELGENE Good news from Celgene (CELG) announced  that the FDA approved the firm’s targeted drug Idhifa (enasidenib) for adults with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) associated with isocitrate dehydrogenase-2 (IDH2) mutations. Good news also announced that the FDA approved the RealTime IDH2 companion assay, which pinpoints the IDH2 mutations. Richard Pazdur, MD, of the FDA Office of Hematology and Oncology Products, said in a statement. …

It took only a few months after the dosing stages of NKTR-358 in in a Phase I trial for Eli Lilly to strike a deal worth $400 million with the ascending firm Nektar (NKTR) related to the drug. Eli Lilly seemed impressed with NeKtar’s drug, which was designed to treat autoimmune and other chronic inflammatory conditions. NKTR-358 targets interleukin (IL-2) receptor complex. Nektar and Lilly …

IMPROVING ON CAR IMMUNOTHERAPY APPROACH  When we stated that chimeric antigen receptor CAR immunotherapy process was created to remain and improve, we aimed at demonstrating our conviction that the CAR approach will eventually be improved and become the gold standard for the treatment of many cancers. We observed that many research and medical institutions are using all advanced information, state-of-the-art techniques and technologies in order …

A BIG YES for Novartis CAR-T product has come from the  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee. The committee recommended FDA approval for Novartis product CTL019 for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The Vote: The panel voted 10-0 in favor of approval. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, (CAR-T- Cell therapy) is an immunotherapy that enables the immune system T cells to seek, reach and attack cancer …

Merck’s (MRK) anti-PD-1 drug Keytruda® (pembrolizumab) is approved for many, many cancers. Yet, it is fair to say that this checkpoint inhibitor drug will not be effective in all cancers. This is especially true now that yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed a clinical hold on KEYNOTE-183, KEYNOTE-185 and KEYNOTE-023, three combination studies of Keytruda® with Celgene’s products Pomalyst Pomalidomide and …

The most important last barrier to cross or dismantle for drug developers is the approval of novel products that amplify the improvement of previous drugs. The approvals of drugs in the U.S. and Europe open the door for the same drugs to be approved and marketed in the rest of the world. For the revenue-generating firms, each and every approval helps grow their revenues. With …

We examined many explanations about the rallying in the biotech stocks, including the reports stating that the President’s threatening of a crackdown on pricing may have been misinterpreted. A more convincing possibility was the feeling that the newly appointed FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, might have managed to show that he came to bring about a change in the way the FDA tasks have been conducted …

Since Regulus’ (RGLS) lead candidate drug RG101 for HCV was put on clinical hold by the FDA in 2016, the stock has enormously suffered and with it the firm’s value. Finally, we are experiencing a tremendous change as we started hearing from the firm, not about its pipeline products’ clinical updates this time, but about the firm’s made decisions about changes. On June 12, 2017, …

Juno’s (JUNO) JCAR017 and JCAR014 are chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) product candidates that target CD19, a protein expressed on the surface of almost all B cell malignancies. These malignancies include non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The clinical trial results of Juno’s CAR-T product JCAR017 in relapsed and refractory (r/r) aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are …

AT ASCO CAR-T Was Created to Stay BlueBird Bio CAR-T Results Bluebird Bio (BLUE) presentation was well received at ASCO after the firm stated results demonstrating that all the 15 evaluable patients in the clinical trial of its chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) drug “bb2121 responded to treatment. Data were convincing demonstrating 89% of the patients observed their tumors shrink with 27% seeing their …

Array Biopharma (ARRY) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) announced a clinical research collaboration to investigate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of Array’s investigational MEK inhibitor, binimetinib in combination with BMY’s checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drug Opdivo (nivolumab) and Opdivo Plus Yervoy (ipilimumab). The combinations are for the  potential treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer in patients with microsatellite stable tumors. According to Ron Squarer, CEO Array BioPharma the …

GlycoMimetics (GLYN) is a development-stage biotechnology company focused on cancer and sickle cell disease. The firm’s most advanced drug, rivipansel, a pan-selectin antagonist, is being developed for vaso-occlusive crisis in sickle cell disease. The product is in a Phase 3 clinical trial being conducted by GlycoMimetics’ strategic collaborator, Pfizer. But the recent news is about GlycoMimetics’ wholly-owned drug candidate, GMI-1271, an E-selectin antagonist, is being evaluated …

As a matter of fact, we consider Incyte’s (INCY) drug epacadostat’s good results extremely important. The reason? Two facts are currently settled in researchers’ and oncologists’ minds. These are: 1. Checkpoint inhibitors require effective combination therapy to boost their limited efficacy, or at least to improve their efficacy, especially in solid tumors. 2. IDO inhibition is recognized as central for immunotherapy success. Both facts have been proven …

AKEBIA THERAPEUTICS? Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA) whose stock trades on the NASDAQ is outperforming. The firm’s drug vadadustat — an oral hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizer in Phase 3 trial for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is attracting attention, which led to a lucrative agreement. The enthusiasm towards this firm’s product vadadustat stems from the fact that it is an orally administered drug, which makes …