Theodore Cohen

Biotech: The Next Big Bubble?

The posters above are correct...Mr. Aschoff is not a doctor. And he WAS caught, fined, and censored by the SEC for impersonating a doctor in an attempt to illegally obtain information regarding a drug trial. Here's an excerpt from the Pulitzer Prize-winning article by Geeta Anand and Randall Smith:

www.pulitzer.org/archi...

"Friedman Billings analyst Jonathan Aschoff says he was just trying to get the real story when he impersonated a doctor in early March.

"First he sent an e-mail to Dr. Cunningham, the oncologist involved with trials of Genta's experimental cancer drug, requesting a progress update. When it went unanswered, Mr. Aschoff says he telephoned on March 13, posing as a "Dr. Rosen" who had a leukemia patient interested in enrolling in the trial. The alias came from the movie "Fletch," where Chevy Chase pretends to be a doctor by that name, says Mr. Aschoff."

Following is the SEC action in the matter:

In Jonathan Matthew Aschoff (CAF030003/AWC March 2003), Aschoff wanted to issue a research report about a public company for which his member firm was an issuer. Using an assumed name and misrepresenting himself as a medical doctor, he spoke with members of the medical profession in an effort to obtain confidential information about the effect of a drug under development by the company. After being confronted about his deception, he never used the information in a report.

Fined $10,000, and suspended 2 weeks in all capacities.

rrbdlaw.com/Regulatory...
Search on "Aschoff"

It's always good to do your homework and understand the private agendas of those you tout!

Dendreon's News - Good Spin, No Spunk

Ames, please provide your qualifications to render this opinion. It would make taking them into account - or ignoring them - ever so much easier.

FDA Turns Over Dendreon Documents - Here They Are

Here’s yet another example where the FDA initially either lied or was totally inept…or both.

The evidence finally released shows that von E received Scher’s letter via e-mail and direct through the U.S. mail.

Interestingly, the last letter in the latest transmission from HHS via FOIA is an e-mail from Dr. Scher to Dr. von Eschenbach that includes an e-mail from Dr. Steven Rosenberg (was the communication from Dr. Rosenberg invited by Dr. Scher?) dated April 27, 2007, supporting Dr. Scher. Dr. Rosenberg is in NCI (as are other at least two other government employees already identified as being involved in the development of the infamous "Scher letter" that was leaked to The Cancer Letter). Dr. Rosenberg, in particular, has devoted his life’s work to cancer vaccines, and it’s possible that the approval of Provenge would have pushed his work into the background.

Regardless, it’s interesting that as late as the end of April 2007, a special government employee (Dr. Scher) still was lobbying the FDA commissioner to turn down the approval of Provenge. Dr. Scher could not have mounted such a campaign as a special government employee without the advice, assistance, and support of a regular government employee…it’s just unheard of, and in any event, totaly unexpected for a special government employee who has sat on an advisory committee.

Who is behind the campaign to sink Provenge? Only time will reveal the true identity of the Wizard of Oz...the person behind the curtain, pulling the strings.

Meanwhile, this whole scandal smells worse with every passing day.

The time is long past for a full investigation into Dr. Scher’s (as well as Dr. Hussain’s) activities during and following the Provenge advisory committee meeting.