Biotech Stock Mailbag: Seattle Genetics

Lonnie W. asks, "What's next for Onyx Pharmaceuticals(ONXX)?"

The data announced Monday from the study of carfilizomib in advanced multiple myeloma patients -- 24% response rate and duration of response of almost 7.4 months -- were better than most investors expected. Doubters who didn't think Onyx had a chance in hell of convincing the FDA to approve carfilzomib on an accelerated basis next year should be rethinking their position.

Some important questions about carfilzomib will remain unanswered until we see the full dataset from the trial at the American Society of Hematology meeting in December 4-7.

Most important is the response rate to carfilzomib in multiple myeloma patients who are truly refractory to Takeda's Velcade compared to patients who relapsed after treatment with Velcade. The refractory group of patients is sicker and cannot be retreated with Velcade, which gives a purer measure of carfilzomib's efficacy in a patient population without current treatment options.

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Phil asks, "Just a quick thanks for your excellent coverage of the Vivus(VVUS) FDA advisory panel hearing with your live blog earlier this month. A tough job for sure -- listening, typing (faultlessly, no less) and responding to listeners queries. I was wondering if you are also planning to live blog the Arena Pharmaceuticals(ARNA) panel as well? With all the interest the Vivus panel generated, I'm sure you'll have another huge audience."

Thanks Phil, and yes, I am planning to live blog the Arena Pharma FDA advisory panel tentatively scheduled for Sept. 16. Stay tuned for more details.

The live blogs of FDA advisory panel meetings have proven to be very popular so I'm expanding coverage to meet demand. My plans right now are to provide live coverage of the following FDA panels:

Jazz Pharmaceuticals(JAZZ) (JZP-6 for fibromyalgia) on Aug. 20; MELA Sciences(MELA) (MELAFind for melanoma detection) in November; and Orexigen Therapeutics(OREX) (Contrave for obesity) on Dec. 7.

I'm interested in covering the FDA panel for Alkermes(ALKS) (Vivitrol for opioid dependence) on Sept. 16 as well, but first I need to figure out how to clone myself.

-- Reported by Adam Feuerstein in Boston.

Follow Adam Feuerstein on Twitter.

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