Biotech Medarex Misses the Mark

BOSTON -- I'm not one to shy away from controversy, so I'll get right to the point: I've spent a few days digging into Medarex's(MEDX Quote) skin cancer drug MDX-010. What I found wasn't very impressive.

I don't believe the current phase III studies are going to yield positive data strong enough to warrant the drug's approval.

The drug, which also goes by the name ipilimumab, just isn't very potent when used by itself (as monotherapy) in patients with advanced melanoma, or skin cancer. That's the conclusion I draw from a look at previously conducted clinical trials. ...