Unternehmen wird von einem der Mitbegründer von Amgen geführt.
[11/01/00 1:02 PM EST] SuperGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUPG)
and SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCLN), two
biotech companies that RedChip Review™ covers, have
suffered sharp declines in market value in recent weeks, yet the potential value of the drugs they are developing is as great as
when their stocks were soaring. In my book that means they are much better buys now than they were before the current fire sale.
SUPG’s stock, which had traded as high as $77 in early March,
began to slide because of negative publicity. The shares dropped to under $30 in August after a couple of key people left. This
happened in spite of the bundle of cash the company had raised earlier in the year to strengthen its balance sheet. Then Prudential
downgraded the stock from “strong buy” to “hold,” suggesting
that clinical trials of the company’s lead pancreatic cancer drug, Rubitecan, would be delayed about a year. The stock promptly
fell another 30% or so to $20 a share. It lingered there, even though management denied that the trials would be late. Wall
Street also has been unnerved by the negative signals sent by long-time SUPG investor and board member Larry Ellison.
Ellison, who also is chairman and CEO of Oracle Corporation
(Nasdaq: ORCL), has steadily been selling his SUPG shares.
And the stock drifted lower, to $10.63 by mid-October, before
edging back up to just under $13 yesterday.
In some ways SUPG may be paying for its hubris. With a market
cap under $500 million, SUPG is a small company, yet many of
its top managers have a large-company mentality, which is to say they don’t seem to pay much attention to individual investors and
analysts. Perhaps this is because Joe Rubinfeld, SUPG’s
president and CEO, has been involved in large companies for
most of his career.
Rubinfeld has every reason to be haughty. After working as a
research scientist with Schering-Plough Corp. (NYSE: SGP)
and Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL), he and three
others founded Amgen, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMGN), one of today’s
premier biotechnology companies. He went on to build the
oncology department at Bristol-Myers (NYSE: BMY). If that
were not enough, he also holds numerous patents and has
published articles on a wide range of inventions and
developments, including the 10-second developer for Polaroid
film and the first commercial synthetic, biodegradable detergent. No doubt he now believes he can build SUPG into the Amgen
opportunity he stepped away from just three years after he
helped found it. And perhaps he can. But he might have to stoop to learning how to deal with small-cap investors if he is to
succeed.
Management personalities aside, Rubitecan has demonstrated
clear effectiveness in prolonging the lives of pancreatic cancer victims. This is a terrible disease, and no therapy of any value
currently exists. Moreover, should SUPG win FDA approval, we
expect the drug to find favor among physicians in the treatment of other solid-tumor cancers. Thus the market could extend well
beyond treatment of pancreatic cancer.
While SUPG may have been too expensive early in the year, the
pendulum has now swung too far in the other direction.
Management’s quirks and the possible delay of clinical trials do not negate the potential value of Rubitecan. Risk-tolerant
investors, however, have an opportunity to buy into SUPG at
very reasonable prices. Consider that the book value of the
company is over $5 per share, and cash is $3.70 of that. That
makes the company’s $13 price look even better.
Aus www.redchip.com
cdpixel4.teledata.de/informer2/...ndtype1=&indtype2=&volumen=" style="max-width:560px" >
Schlusskurs heute 19,48$/+13%
Aktuelle Meldung vom 2.11.2000
Thursday November 2, 9:45 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: SuperGen Inc.
SuperGen's Decitabine Achieved 100 Percent
Response Rate in Limited Clinical Study of Sickle Cell
Anemia Patients
Results of Phase I/II trial published in October issue of Blood
SAN RAMON, Calif., Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- SuperGen Inc. (Nasdaq: SUPG & SUPGZ) announced today that its
anticancer compound decitabine generated a response in 100 percent of the patients tested in a Phase I/II clinical study
designed to establish safety and efficacy in the treatment of sickle cell anemia. These data were published in the October issue
of Blood, a preeminent hematology publication.
The study, headed by Dr. Mabel Koshy of the University of Illinois at Chicago, enrolled a total of eight patients: five of whom
had shown no response to Hydroxyurea (HU), the current standard of care, after one year of treatment; two of whom had a
moderate but unsustained response to HU; and, one patient who was not treated with HU. Each of the eight patients treated
with decitabine experienced elevated levels of fetal hemoglobin, which prevents 'sickle-shaped' cells from congregating,
allowing them to move freely throughout the body. (The clustering of such 'sickle cells' can result in severe pain, stroke, renal
failure, loss of sight, and substantial organ damage.)
After administration of decitabine, the five patients previously treated with HU experienced an average 35-fold increase of fetal
hemoglobin levels compared to levels during HU treatment. The two patients who responded briefly to HU experienced an
average fetal hemoglobin level increase of 52 percent with decitabine compared to treatment with HU. The one patient who
had not received HU treatment experienced more than a 50 percent increase in fetal hemoglobin levels. Side effects were
minimal, and the drug was well- tolerated. While HU has been shown to induce fetal hemoglobin, it is not effective in all
patients.
``We are quite pleased at the dramatic results of the Phase I/II study, given the seriousness and lack of effective treatment for
sickle cell anemia,'' said Dr. Joseph Rubinfeld, chairman and chief executive officer of SuperGen. ``Plans for additional clinical
studies of decitabine as a treatment for sickle cell anemia are underway.
``The results of this study lend strong evidence to our belief that decitabine may become another platform technology for the
treatment of cancer,'' added Dr. Rubinfeld. ``In addition to sickle cell anemia, decitabine is in clinical studies for a variety of
solid tumors and hematological malignancies, including myelodysplastic syndrome, non-small cell lung cancer and chronic
myelogenous leukemia. The compound's unique mechanism of action - the hypomethylation of DNA - is a new area of keen
interest in not only sickle cell anemia, but has implications for the reactivation of tumor suppressor genes in cancer therapy.''
``The exciting data generated by decitabine underscores the breadth of the SuperGen portfolio, which includes four drugs that
will be in Phase III clinical studies in the near-term,'' stated Dr. Rubinfeld.
Sickle cell anemia is an inherited disorder of the red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body by using
a protein called fetal hemoglobin. Normal red blood cells contain only normal hemoglobin and are shaped like discs. These cells
are very flexible and move easily through small blood vessels. But in sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells contain sickle
hemoglobin, which causes them to change to a curved shape (sickle shape) after oxygen is released. 'Sickled' cells become
stuck and form plugs in small blood vessels. This blockage of blood flow can damage the tissue. Because there are blood
vessels in all parts of the body, damage can occur anywhere in the body.
Sickle cell anemia is most common among people whose ancestors come from Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean
basin, and India. In the United States, it affects primarily African Americans, more than 50,000 of whom have the disease,
according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. One in 12 African-Americans carries the sickle cell trait and most
sickle cell patients commonly die in their thirties and forties.
Based in San Ramon, California, SuperGen is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization
of products intended to treat life-threatening diseases, particularly cancer.
Statements relating to SuperGen's decitabine trials are 'forward-looking' statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Such statements involve
certain risks and uncertainties associated with an emerging pharmaceutical company actively involved in clinical trials. Actual
results could differ materially from those projected in the 'forward-looking' statements as a result of failure to obtain the clinical
data necessary to support marketing approval of its products under development, unforeseen delays in clinical-trial
management, adverse FDA actions, as well as other risks discussed in SuperGen's reports on file with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (including, but not limited to, the report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999,
and its report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2000).
SOURCE: SuperGen Inc.
Gruß Dampf
[11/01/00 1:02 PM EST] SuperGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUPG)
and SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCLN), two
biotech companies that RedChip Review™ covers, have
suffered sharp declines in market value in recent weeks, yet the potential value of the drugs they are developing is as great as
when their stocks were soaring. In my book that means they are much better buys now than they were before the current fire sale.
SUPG’s stock, which had traded as high as $77 in early March,
began to slide because of negative publicity. The shares dropped to under $30 in August after a couple of key people left. This
happened in spite of the bundle of cash the company had raised earlier in the year to strengthen its balance sheet. Then Prudential
downgraded the stock from “strong buy” to “hold,” suggesting
that clinical trials of the company’s lead pancreatic cancer drug, Rubitecan, would be delayed about a year. The stock promptly
fell another 30% or so to $20 a share. It lingered there, even though management denied that the trials would be late. Wall
Street also has been unnerved by the negative signals sent by long-time SUPG investor and board member Larry Ellison.
Ellison, who also is chairman and CEO of Oracle Corporation
(Nasdaq: ORCL), has steadily been selling his SUPG shares.
And the stock drifted lower, to $10.63 by mid-October, before
edging back up to just under $13 yesterday.
In some ways SUPG may be paying for its hubris. With a market
cap under $500 million, SUPG is a small company, yet many of
its top managers have a large-company mentality, which is to say they don’t seem to pay much attention to individual investors and
analysts. Perhaps this is because Joe Rubinfeld, SUPG’s
president and CEO, has been involved in large companies for
most of his career.
Rubinfeld has every reason to be haughty. After working as a
research scientist with Schering-Plough Corp. (NYSE: SGP)
and Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL), he and three
others founded Amgen, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMGN), one of today’s
premier biotechnology companies. He went on to build the
oncology department at Bristol-Myers (NYSE: BMY). If that
were not enough, he also holds numerous patents and has
published articles on a wide range of inventions and
developments, including the 10-second developer for Polaroid
film and the first commercial synthetic, biodegradable detergent. No doubt he now believes he can build SUPG into the Amgen
opportunity he stepped away from just three years after he
helped found it. And perhaps he can. But he might have to stoop to learning how to deal with small-cap investors if he is to
succeed.
Management personalities aside, Rubitecan has demonstrated
clear effectiveness in prolonging the lives of pancreatic cancer victims. This is a terrible disease, and no therapy of any value
currently exists. Moreover, should SUPG win FDA approval, we
expect the drug to find favor among physicians in the treatment of other solid-tumor cancers. Thus the market could extend well
beyond treatment of pancreatic cancer.
While SUPG may have been too expensive early in the year, the
pendulum has now swung too far in the other direction.
Management’s quirks and the possible delay of clinical trials do not negate the potential value of Rubitecan. Risk-tolerant
investors, however, have an opportunity to buy into SUPG at
very reasonable prices. Consider that the book value of the
company is over $5 per share, and cash is $3.70 of that. That
makes the company’s $13 price look even better.
Aus www.redchip.com
Schlusskurs heute 19,48$/+13%
Aktuelle Meldung vom 2.11.2000
Thursday November 2, 9:45 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: SuperGen Inc.
SuperGen's Decitabine Achieved 100 Percent
Response Rate in Limited Clinical Study of Sickle Cell
Anemia Patients
Results of Phase I/II trial published in October issue of Blood
SAN RAMON, Calif., Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- SuperGen Inc. (Nasdaq: SUPG & SUPGZ) announced today that its
anticancer compound decitabine generated a response in 100 percent of the patients tested in a Phase I/II clinical study
designed to establish safety and efficacy in the treatment of sickle cell anemia. These data were published in the October issue
of Blood, a preeminent hematology publication.
The study, headed by Dr. Mabel Koshy of the University of Illinois at Chicago, enrolled a total of eight patients: five of whom
had shown no response to Hydroxyurea (HU), the current standard of care, after one year of treatment; two of whom had a
moderate but unsustained response to HU; and, one patient who was not treated with HU. Each of the eight patients treated
with decitabine experienced elevated levels of fetal hemoglobin, which prevents 'sickle-shaped' cells from congregating,
allowing them to move freely throughout the body. (The clustering of such 'sickle cells' can result in severe pain, stroke, renal
failure, loss of sight, and substantial organ damage.)
After administration of decitabine, the five patients previously treated with HU experienced an average 35-fold increase of fetal
hemoglobin levels compared to levels during HU treatment. The two patients who responded briefly to HU experienced an
average fetal hemoglobin level increase of 52 percent with decitabine compared to treatment with HU. The one patient who
had not received HU treatment experienced more than a 50 percent increase in fetal hemoglobin levels. Side effects were
minimal, and the drug was well- tolerated. While HU has been shown to induce fetal hemoglobin, it is not effective in all
patients.
``We are quite pleased at the dramatic results of the Phase I/II study, given the seriousness and lack of effective treatment for
sickle cell anemia,'' said Dr. Joseph Rubinfeld, chairman and chief executive officer of SuperGen. ``Plans for additional clinical
studies of decitabine as a treatment for sickle cell anemia are underway.
``The results of this study lend strong evidence to our belief that decitabine may become another platform technology for the
treatment of cancer,'' added Dr. Rubinfeld. ``In addition to sickle cell anemia, decitabine is in clinical studies for a variety of
solid tumors and hematological malignancies, including myelodysplastic syndrome, non-small cell lung cancer and chronic
myelogenous leukemia. The compound's unique mechanism of action - the hypomethylation of DNA - is a new area of keen
interest in not only sickle cell anemia, but has implications for the reactivation of tumor suppressor genes in cancer therapy.''
``The exciting data generated by decitabine underscores the breadth of the SuperGen portfolio, which includes four drugs that
will be in Phase III clinical studies in the near-term,'' stated Dr. Rubinfeld.
Sickle cell anemia is an inherited disorder of the red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body by using
a protein called fetal hemoglobin. Normal red blood cells contain only normal hemoglobin and are shaped like discs. These cells
are very flexible and move easily through small blood vessels. But in sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells contain sickle
hemoglobin, which causes them to change to a curved shape (sickle shape) after oxygen is released. 'Sickled' cells become
stuck and form plugs in small blood vessels. This blockage of blood flow can damage the tissue. Because there are blood
vessels in all parts of the body, damage can occur anywhere in the body.
Sickle cell anemia is most common among people whose ancestors come from Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean
basin, and India. In the United States, it affects primarily African Americans, more than 50,000 of whom have the disease,
according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. One in 12 African-Americans carries the sickle cell trait and most
sickle cell patients commonly die in their thirties and forties.
Based in San Ramon, California, SuperGen is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization
of products intended to treat life-threatening diseases, particularly cancer.
Statements relating to SuperGen's decitabine trials are 'forward-looking' statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Such statements involve
certain risks and uncertainties associated with an emerging pharmaceutical company actively involved in clinical trials. Actual
results could differ materially from those projected in the 'forward-looking' statements as a result of failure to obtain the clinical
data necessary to support marketing approval of its products under development, unforeseen delays in clinical-trial
management, adverse FDA actions, as well as other risks discussed in SuperGen's reports on file with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (including, but not limited to, the report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999,
and its report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2000).
SOURCE: SuperGen Inc.
Gruß Dampf
