OncoGenex (OGXI) Down 30% To $21.23

December 21, 2009 · Filed Under Cancer · Comments Off 

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries  (TEVA) and OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OGXI) announced today that they have entered into a global license and collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize OGX-011, as well as an agreement to purchase shares in OncoGenex. OGX-011 is a Phase III cancer therapy designed to inhibit cancer treatment resistance. OGX-011 is expected to be used as adjunct therapy to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and has shown promising results when added to currently available chemotherapies in several tumor types addressing a significant unmet medical need.

The agreement will further enhance Teva’s oncology offerings and strengthen its global branded product pipeline with a promising product candidate entering three Phase III trials involving large patient populations. Teva and OncoGenex will collaborate on a global Phase III clinical program, with two Phase III clinical trials expected to be initiated in 2010: a Phase III Study for Second-line Chemotherapy in Men with Metastatic Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) and a Phase III Study in First-Line Chemotherapy for Metastatic CRPC. An additional Phase III Study in First-Line Treatment of Advanced, Unresectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is intended to be initiated by early 2011.

OncoGenex also announced that Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ISIS) will receive a $10 million payment from OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  as a result of OncoGenex’ license of OGX-011 to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.  OGX-011 is a second-generation antisense drug co-discovered by Isis and OncoGenex that has completed a successful Phase 2 program in patients with advanced prostate cancer and advanced non-small cell lung cancer.  Teva and OncoGenex will collaborate on a global Phase 3 clinical program for OGX-011 in patients with prostate and non-small cell lung cancer.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Unusual Number of 52-Week Highs in BioHealth Stocks (BCRX, CRIS, NKTR, OGXI, SCLN, SVA, SPPI, TRGT, VICL)

August 31, 2009 · Filed Under daily, flu · Comments Off 

As you will see, there are many new 52-week highs out there in some drug and biotech names…. Some of this is on swine flu news despite a big drop in the stock market today, but here goes:

  • BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BCRX) hit $13.24 today…. 52-week low is $0.85.
  • Curis Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS) hit $2.25 today, the drug discovery company has a small cap at $140 million; 52-week low is $0.68.
  • Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR) hit 8.29 but on very low volume, 52-week low is $8.29.
  • OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OGXI) hit a high of $42.99, also on fairly thin trading volume…. The 52-week low is all the way down at $2.00 on this cancer company.  In 2007, this was over a $100 stock…
  • SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCLN) is up big on heavy block trading as it hit $4.90 vs. a 52-week low of $0.63.
  • Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (AMEX: SVA) is what led the flu names today after securing Chinese approval for its swine flu vaccine.  Shares are up over 40% at $8.90… but it hit $9,44 today versus a 52-week low of $0.75.
  • Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPPI) is up over 7% and hit $8.32 on strong volume… 52-week low is $0.55.
  • Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT) hit $14.69 today, but on thin trading volume, compared to a 52-week low of $1.40.
  • Vical Inc. (NASDAQ: VICL) hit a high of $4.93 versus a low of $1.04.  This is on strong volume and is after a rise of flu awareness stocks in China.

JON C. OGG
August 31, 2009

Full 2009 ASCO Cancer & Oncology Primer (ABII, AEZS, ALTH, AMGN, APPA, ARQL, BMY, CLDX, CELG, CTIC, CGRB, LLY, EXEL, GHDX, GSK, IMGN, MEDX, MDVN, MITI, OGXI, OSIP, PPHM, PFE, ROSG, SNTA, TRBN, ZIOP, ZGEN)

May 27, 2009 · Filed Under Cancer, R&D, dendreon · Comments Off 

We have already seen a massive round of abstracts ahead of the huge American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO meeting for 2009, which is scheduled to start this weekend.  ASCO is usually thought of as the Holy Grail of cancer conferences and these abstracts and presentations are viewed by investors, analysts, clinicians, doctors, and by cancer patients.

We compiled a brief synopsis for the following drug and biotech companies: Abraxis BioScience, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABII), AEterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ: AEZS), Allos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTH), Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN), A.P. Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: APPA), Arqule Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL), Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), Celldex Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CLDX), Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG), Cell Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CTIC), Cougar Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CGRB), Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), Exelixis (NASDAQ: EXEL), Genomic Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: GHDX), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) , Immunogen (NASDAQ: IMGN), Medarex (NASDAQ: MEDX), Medivation, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDVN), Micromet, Inc. (NASDAQ: MITI), OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OGXI), OSI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: OSIP), Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPHM), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Rosetta Genomics (NASDAQ:ROSG), Synta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SNTA), Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRBN), ZIOPHARM Oncology (NASDAQ: ZIOP), and ZymoGenetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZGEN).

Be advised that some of the data may have been changed since the first abstracts came out, but this is an expansive list of companies with data.
Read more

ASCO's Pre-Abstract Previews (ABII, ALTH, ARQL, CLDX, CTIC, CGRB, LLY, EXEL, GHDX, GSK, IMGN, MEDX, MDVN, OGXI, OSIP, PPHM, PFE, SNTA, ZIOP)

May 14, 2009 · Filed Under Cancer, General, daily, dendreon · Comments Off 

The first massive round of abstracts ahead of the huge American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO meeting for 2009, is due out 6:00PM EST.  This is thought of as the Holy Grail of cancer conferences and these abstracts are being picked apart all night by hundreds of investors, analysts, clinicians, doctors, and even by cancer patients.  We have brief data here for the following biotech and drug companies, and you can bet there will be more than this: Abraxis BioScience, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABII), Allos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTH), Arqule Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL), Celldex Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CLDX), Cell Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CTIC), Cougar Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CGRB), Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), Exelixis (NASDAQ: EXEL), Genomic Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: GHDX), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) , Immunogen (NASDAQ: IMGN), Medarex (NASDAQ: MEDX), Medivation, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDVN), OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OGXI), OSI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: OSIP), Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPHM), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Synta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SNTA), and ZIOPHARM Oncology (NASDAQ: ZIOP).

Be advised that there may be new data from many of these companies between now and the May 29 to June 2, 2009 meeting in Orlando, Florida.  We have already compiled a pre-ASCO cheat sheet to get in ahead of some of these abstracts, and the brief notes are as follows:
Read more

    Subscribe to BioHealth Investor BioHealth Investor RSS Feed