InterOil Corporation Message Board

02/08/2011

Big Pharma Backs Off RNAi

Fierce Biotech reports on a New York Times feature article that recounts how Big Pharma is currently withdrawing from its previous activity with RNAi therapeutics. The story points out that Roche started the trend publicly last fall with its announced withdraw from the field. But other companies like Abbott, and Pfizer have similarly cut their investment.

Merck-Sirna and Novartis-Alnylam deals have also failed to show much in terms of deliverables though Novartis continues to work targets uncovered in its Alnylam deal but decided not to extend it further. Now Big Pharma companies who were pioneers working with the RNAi innovators are focusing their efforts elsewhere looking for more immediate payoffs. In some cases, RNAi may no longer be the only or even best means to effect certain cellular pathways thus reducing the need to rely on this technology.

It may be many many years before any therapies utilizing RNAi hit the clinics
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Do your DD. Blind trust in message board pumpers or people like Phil Frost is not recommended.

Sentiment: Sell

NEW YORK — A federal appeals court in New York says defrauded investors cannot hold the Securities and Exchange Commission responsible for failing to expose Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the lawsuit by investors on Wednesday. It upheld a lower-court ruling that found the SEC could not be held responsible.

The appeals court says the agency’s actions and “regrettable inaction” are shielded by rules protecting government employees from lawsuits when they carry out a discretionary function or duty.

The court noted that the SEC missed many opportunities to uncover Madoff’s multibillion-dollar fraud.

Madoff pleaded guilty in 2009 to fraud. He is serving a 150-year prison sentence.

Investors’ lawyers did not immediately respond to messages Wednesday. The government had no comment.

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Sentiment: Strong Sell

I hear SATAN want's this one bad. ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sentiment: Strong Sell

Frosty ain't your friend.

""Opko Health's bevasiranib, a naked siRNA targeting vascular endothelial growth factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), was on track to become the first FDA-approved siRNA therapeutic.

The drug had ridden into Phase 3 trials on the basis of animal data indicating it could block the subretinal vascularization that causes blindness in AMD. But those studies used a transfection reagent not used in the human trials. Ambati's results suggested the drug's efficacy had nothing to do with RNAi, but rather with an innate immune reaction to double-stranded RNAs mediated by the Toll-like receptor-3 (TLR3).

Ambati says the findings are not terribly surprising; researchers knew that in general, cells don't take up naked siRNA. "It seems to me that there was an irrational exuberance about the technology, and to be frank, the science behind these [original bevasiranib animal studies] is not sound and contradicts very good science showing that double-stranded siRNAs don't get into cells."

That perception seemed vindicated March 6 when Opko Health, citing the recommendation of its Independent Data Monitoring Committee, announced it was terminating its Phase 3 trial of bevasiranib because "the trial, as structured, was unlikely to meet its primary end point."

October 2009 -- Science Magazine

Sentiment: Strong Sell