BREAKING: Study Shows Genentech and Biogen Drug Rituxan Works on Multiple Sclerosis

CNBC ^ | Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:19pm EST | Mike Huckman

[balls]

CNBC’s Mike Huckman reported on a study just released in the New England Journal of Medicine that found that Rituxan, a joint-venture between Genentech and Biodec intended for use on rheumatoid arthritis and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, is also useful in treating M.S. According to the study, patients using Rituxan saw a 58% decrease in M.S. flare-ups and a 91% drop in brain legions after just two infusions of the drug.

This news has huge upside potential for Genetech, Huckman said. It could be a mixed bag for Biogen because the company makes two other multiple sclerosis drugs whose sales could be cannibalized by Rituxan.

But would that be the worse thing that could happen for Biogen? Pete Najarian thinks this solidifies his position that Biogen can be owned “from here to eternity.”

Jeff Macke said this could be a much-needed momentum push for Genentech.

Reuters:

Cancer drug slows multiple sclerosis progression

By Gene Emery

BOSTON (Reuters) - Two shots of the cancer drug Rituxan given two weeks apart slowed the progression of multiple sclerosis for nearly a year, researchers reported on Wednesday.

And Rituxan appears to be twice as effective as first-line treatments for MS, which reduce the number of relapses by about a third, the researchers said.

"It's quite remarkable that the effect was sustained for 48 weeks with just a single course of therapy," said Dr. Stephen Hauser of the University of California at San Francisco, who worked on the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

[balls]

Video of the discussion, from an investor perspective, is on the CNBC site at the above URL (Isn't the free market wonderful?)

[nkycincinnatikid]

bump

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

*ping*

[CAluvdubya]

I will say that my sister had Rituxan for her RA and it really seems to have worked.

I hope it works for MS as well.

[woofie]

Dam I think I sold my Genetech stock

[Petronski]

Amazing mednews ping!

[Tolkien]

My wife has relapsing /remitting MS. I’ll let her know about this.

[Chgogal]

Awesome ((((PING)))!!!!!

[allmendream]

Biodec?

Was once Biogen and Idec. They call it Biogen later in the story but introduce them as Biodec. I was married to a Idec employee when the merge happened. She predicted it would soon just be Biogen again. I guess Biodec is a transitional species. ;)

[rdl6989]

I pray this works.

[balls]

Just two injections a year are far more effective than any other MS drug, several of which have to be injected every other day or weekly. This really is a breakthrough.

[ErnBatavia]

Hopeful news for a fellow (un-named FReeper and his beautiful bride who has been stricken).

[bajabaja]

Thanks for the post, balls. I will look for information as to availability and cost.

[cgk]

MS Ping!

Please FReepmail me if you would like to be added to, or removed from, the Multiple Sclerosis ping list...

[Lizavetta]

F I X ....T Y P E.... 1 .... D I A B E T E S

[DFG]

bump

[dawn53]

Thanks for the ping.

[P-Marlowe]

I’m sure the Trial Lawyers will put these companies out of business as soon as they find some federally funded study that shows that using these drugs increases your chances of developing a scratch resistant strain of athlete’s foot.

[balls]

I lost my MS ping list.

[Snapping Turtle]

Good info.