Member Info for mulledwine

priti - thanks for your input with a link dated January!

News slightly old but worth noting - UK’s Antisoma bounces after saying it has enough cash to support cancer drug trials 19 May 2010 UK cancer drug developer Antisoma saw its shares jump 7.4% to 6.98 pence this week, after the firm announced that it has sufficient financial resources to take it beyond the results of clinical trials for two lead cancer drug candidates, after the recent disappointment with its once potential blockbuster ASA404, the lung cancer drug that it was developing with Swiss drug major Novartis, failed in a late-stage trial despite showing promise in earlier studies Antisoma’s chief executive, Glyn Edwards, said: “We have two promising cancer drugs, AS1413 and AS1411, both of which we expect to report key trial data during the next year

.Antisoma stages comeback with promising cancer drugs Published on 20/05/10 at 11:59am UK biotech Antisoma is looking to put previous late-stage trial failures behind it by focusing on two new cancer drugs. The company suffered a significant blow in March when ASA404, a potential lung cancer treatment it was developing with Novartis, failed in phase III trails by showing no survival benefit. Antisoma is now placing its hopes on AS1413, a potential treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia in phase III, and chemotherapy drug AS1413 that’s in phase IIb. Chief executive Glyn Edwards, said: “We have two promising cancer drugs, AS1413 and AS1411, both of which we expect to report key trial data during the next year. Having taken measures to reduce our costs, we expect our cash resources to take us well past these trial results.” These measures included restructuring the business and making headcount reductions. This saw staff numbers cut from 90 to 75, as part of which chief operating officer Dr Ursula Ney and two other members of the senior management team, Julio Gagne and Kevin Kissane, departed the company. Antisoma’s chemotherapy treatment AS1413 is being tested on patients with secondary acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), with results set to land in early 2011. Its other leading candidate, AS1411, is the most advanced aptamer in trials for cancer and is currently in a 90-patient phase IIb study in patients with AML. This follows an earlier phase II trial in AML, which reported positive results, and headline data from the phase IIb study is expected in the first half of next year. In a joint statement, Edwards and Antisoma chairman Barry Price said the company was determined to bounce back from the disappointment of ASA404. “We recognise that ASA404 was considered the company’s most significant asset, but we are confident that Antisoma’s strategy of investment in a diversified portfolio of products remains sound. We have had to make tough decisions in light of the ASA404 result, but believe that we have the product assets, people and financial resources to build value for the future,” they said. The phase II trial of the treatment actually showed considerable success in prolonging life in lung cancer patients, but with a larger sample of more seriously ill patients the results were significantly, and disappointingly, different.

Glyn Edwards, CEO of Antisoma, said: "AS1413 and AS1411 are both un-partnered products with significant commercial potential. The latest data on AS1413 reinforce the clear differentiation of this drug from current leukaemia treatments and its potential to offer unique benefits to patients." If these drugs have the potential claimed them there should be plenty of interest from would be partners - even given the uncertainty in the pharma world.

dindi - yes I agree re bid price --- When I look at my portfolio on Halifax they obviously value it at the shrae price (mid)...which gives you a false sense of worth as you wouldnt quite get that if you sold...I wish they would show the porfolio price based on the bid price...its more realistic!

Some nice forward movement today. A bit of confidence creeping back in?

Whats the thoughts on all those 5k sells....surely they could have been sold as a single transaction if all by the same seller?...any views?

Apologies - re my post at 16:30 - this is the link http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/182776.php

Turns - Yes thats never nice to do , selling at a loss - but if we are all honest then we have all suffered that fate! Im sure you will get an opportunity for ASM to make amends at some point. Enjoy your Easter weekend with the thought that you kept some of your hard earned gains out of the tax mans hands - that should make it all the sweeter !

Some interesting reading regarding one of the other trials ASM have on the go , including possibly one of the last inputs from the outgoing Dr Ney

Suretouch - yes we will probably never know the real reasons for her leaving...a willing redundacy or a necessary evil! however as far as the rest of the team is concerned they call themselves " a world-class development team" - hopefully that is indeed the case.

Gordy - when you say you worked in the business it wasnt per chance for ASM was it ....you seem exceptionally bitter towards them....

Basically it sounds very much like ASM are taking the bull by the horns and doing what any good company needs to do to survive. They havnt let the grass grow under their feet in that respect which is a ign of good management. Its going to be a slow process to rebuild. They are of course open to take over and the latest increase in share holding could well support that.

Staff reduction= good cost cutting exercise. Finances are there until end of 2011 which takes the pressure of funding away for the time being. Quietly confident that ASM will survive this storm.

http://www.acumenpharm.com/mark.html

There will be a fair bit of profit taking from those that bought at 6+ and sold at 8+ ...

Good strong confident start

kirstadams - Hi yes I agree it takes all sorts! No thankfully I wasnt in at 35p. I bought back in at 9.6p looking for a quick buck, an excercise I totally miscalculated on! I do genuinely think it will go back to 12 - 15p but it will take a little longer than I anticipated. I genuinely feel for those that were in at 35 p and were dealt that terrible hand the other day. I have been there in similar circumstances elsewhere. Have you noticed 3 Directors all bought in at 33p this year - you would have thought they would have had some insight at that point as to what was possibly ahead of them regarding trial results?! Any way best regards mulledwine

Gordy - not ramping at all.....significant value is a quote from the company! Why are you interested in this company? Everyone should sell or buy at their own risk and discretion. Give us a full and frank synopsis of why you think its going to nose dive. You may well be right but whats your reasoning?

Christian - alas I thing its an uncrossing trade but neverthe less a little confidence has returned here. We still have 3 drugs in the pot and ASM describes the remaining programmes as having significant value. I dont think it is dead and buried.