Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB)

All Comments on BIIB

  • commenter
    Let us be
    honest
    Jan 22 12:40 PM
    Elan, Biogen Idec Won't Gain Much from Tysabri Approval [view article]
    It is sad and pathetic and infuriating that the people who affect financial markets do their research like C-grade students. I am not trying to have a personal attack at Dr. Dave (by the way, the "Dr." of what?) but I think such "experts" should have some responsibility for their writings if it may affect markets and companies that they know very very little about. Of course the markets are rarely driven by cold analysis of the facts but rather by speculation, greed, fear and rumors. However there is still no excuse to write ignorant and blatantly wrong pieces like the one above just in order to churn up the volume of these writing and justify some unreasonably high salaries of financial "analysts".....

    Enbrel, Remicade and Humira are all drugs that belong to the class of TNF inhibitors. These drugs are used to treat inflammation caused by autoimmune diseases. Though Tysabri "targets" a completely different target (α4-subunit of α4β1 and α4β7 integrins) and thus has a very different mechanism of action it is also used to treat autoimmune diseases.

    Doctors treat autoimmune diseases by reducing the activity of a patient's immune system that obviously makes them more susceptible to infections (viral, like PML, or bacterial) or possibly even some forms of cancer. Enbrel, Remicade, and Humira are very efficient treatments of autoimmune diseases and also generate several Billions of Dollars in sales. These therapies also are a classic story of a risk-benefit analysis. The enormous benefit of the use of TNF inhibitors has proven that the risk of the side effects due to the weakened immune system is completely justified by the improvements in the Quality of Life and the extremely low frequency of dangerous side effects. Tysabri is yet another novel and remarkably efficient autoimmune drug that has brought the relief to many many MS sufferers. When Tysabri was temporarily withdrawn from the market due to the safety concerns many patients and numerous patient-advocacy groups petitioned the FDA and BiogenIdec and Elan to bring it back to the market.

    The others ahead of me already pointed out that a single therapy Tysabri was not associated with PML and I will not go there again. Those who are concerned about drug side effects and their 100% safety look at cancer drugs (no comment). Moreover, check the research that was done on Tylenol and its side effects (don't do it at night - it is too scary). My advice to those who expect to ever use drugs, "strong or week", that would have Zero side effects and the Maximum efficacy - just don't get sick since you will have left only water for your treatment(and it also should be used in moderation please). So, when you research a product or a company please do not rely on the writing of the people who have the unjustified influence on markets (albeit not for a long time) do the research yourself and check the multiple sources of the information.     Reply
  • commenter
    JohnnyRoger
    Jan 21 04:35 PM
    Elan, Biogen Idec Won't Gain Much from Tysabri Approval [view article]
    Brett,

    I am going to try to be charitable considering your knowledge base and obvious limited knowledge of biopharaceutial companies and market research.

    You must spend more time researching your subject! J&J owns Remicade, not Schering-Plough.

    The Tysabri franchise HAS suffered and it is as a result of misinformed writers who simply quote other misinformed folks and spread fear to patients and potential investors. This type of shoot from the hip medical misinformation has has done more to frighten patients from a biologic that could improve their QOL.

    You know nothing about the etiology of PML. You know nothing about the pharmacokinetics of Tysabri. You're mouthing inuendo and pseudoscience you've heard from others. That's sad, very, very sad!

    Tysabri has never been implicated in PML when used as monotherapy. Remicade on the other hand, has!

    Even as write what I had hoped would be a charitable critique I am steaming inside at the potential harm you might have caused with your careless disreguard for the facts.

    Please consider either learning to CAREFULLY research your work or perhaps confining your literary efforts to underwater basket weaving tutorials!

    I do hope that you learn to temper your zeal; diligently dividing TRUTH from opinion!

    John

    I do have a small position in ELN     Reply
  • commenter
    SeekingAlpha
    Reader
    Jan 21 10:48 AM
    Elan, Biogen Idec Won't Gain Much from Tysabri Approval [view article]
    Let's see, on 1/7 Biogen announced that there were 20,400 commercial patients on Tysabri (12,900 in U.S., 7,500 rest of world) as of "late December". Price of Tysabri is $29k (price increase this year) that means that Tysabri has a current run rate of $591 million a year, without Crohn's sales, and prescriptions are increasing by 300 to 400 every week.

    Tysabri will easily exceed *this year* the "range from $400 million to $670 million by 2010", by a lot.


    Reply
  • commenter
    User 142431
    Jan 21 10:37 AM
    Elan, Biogen Idec Won't Gain Much from Tysabri Approval [view article]
    Perhaps with more experience you will learn to look a little deeper into your subject matter, rather than parroting questionable claims from others who failed to do their research.

    Tysabri's run rate is already higher than suggested in your article. The incidence of PML in Tysabri monotherapy is exactly 0. Assuming your figure of 500,000 with Crohns is correct, this represents a potential market of $14.5 billion, not $800 million.

    Let's hope your readers decide to dig a little deeper. You certainly did not.     Reply
  • commenter
    Tibcomonkey
    Jan 21 10:26 AM
    Elan, Biogen Idec Won't Gain Much from Tysabri Approval [view article]
    Brett,

    I'm sure J&J will be very concerned to learn they have lost their valuable Remicade franchise to Schering-Plough's (SGP).

    Perhaps a small amount of research prior to writing would not go amiss!     Reply
  • commenter
    Grayray
    Jan 21 09:30 AM
    Elan, Biogen Idec Won't Gain Much from Tysabri Approval [view article]
    Brett,

    Dr_Dave has done an excellent job in explaing the issues of PML. Unfortunately, you and many others are misinformed as to the issues of PML.

    Hopefully others who are doing research will check deeper into the PML issues and thereby stop basing there economic theories on false information.

    Time will tell, but I am sure that in the near future both MS and CD patients will receive great benefits from Tysabri.     Reply
  • commenter
    Dr_Dave
    Jan 21 04:56 AM
    Elan, Biogen Idec Won't Gain Much from Tysabri Approval [view article]
    Brett,
    You importantly failed to mention both cases of PML actually occurred in combo patients. The MS patient was receiving both Tysabri and Avonex, while the crohns patient was also prescribed with Remicade (a drug which actually causes PML). If you check the FDA site you will actually see that the remicade drug is listed as the primary suspect in this patient.

    Tysabri has been much maligned due to ill-informed or partial representation of the true facts behind the drug. With almost 25,000 patients now receiving the drug and NO CASES OF PML, I certainly won't be surprised to see it continuing to confound analyst estimates.

    By the way Elan has perhaps the most exciting drug candidate in the entire industry now in clinical trials! If that is successful you are talking a stock price which will be many multiples of todays! With an average success rate of around 70% for phase III trials, I think the risk:reward balance at these levels is amazingly good.     Reply
  • commenter
    Chuck
    Jan 17 02:50 PM
    My Website
    Icahn Had a Busy Day Wednesday [view article]
    "On Fast Money Tuesday, Icahn said he still has hope the company will eventually be sold."
    ..
    As my pappy used to say... "Wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which get's full first".
    He can hope it get's sold.
    Reply
  • commenter
    Robert
    Nabloid
    Jan 16 06:31 PM
    My Website
    Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [view article]
    I agree Long-Short Guy! Reply
  • commenter
    Atl Bob
    Jan 15 10:49 AM
    Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [view article]
    Looking for a confirmation- Didn't CNBC report this morning that there was a positive buzz on Sovereign (SOV) today after their report? Was there a merger potential mentioned? Reply
  • commenter
    Long-Short
    Guy
    Jan 15 08:18 AM
    Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [view article]
    It's amazing that Alan Greenspan is the one to say we're now in recession, so soon afte handing Bernanke the hot potato. Reply
  • commenter
    Jeffyboy
    Jan 10 04:50 PM
    Jim Cramer's Mad Money Lightning Round, 1/8/08: ICE Will Heat Up [view article]
    Jim Cramers read on E*TRADE is amazing. On 11/13/2007 he says E*TRADE is solid at its core. Then a week later he says, "E*TRADE is going down!" Then a week after that the deal with Citadel (11/29/2007 article), he says, E*TRADE is saved. Then a week later he says, "I would not touch E*TRADE with a ten foot pole." Later yet he says they are alread bankrupted they don't know it yet.

    He cannot have omnipresent knowledge of the company that contradicts itself. What he his doing is trying to bully a stock into bankruptcy to say, “Hey, I was right.”

    90 percent of the stocks he says “buy buy buy” to have already yielded 100 %to 200% growth over time. Buying it before the growth curve while it is cheap is smart, he is not. Sell, sell, sell Jim Cramer.

    I do agree E*Trade has a problem, it is easier for them (E*Trade) to fix their problems then CFC or WM (Country Wide or Washing Mutual) because they have products to sell outside of lending that has a good profit margins. E*Trade offers bank function, options trading, stock trading, bond, access to foreign markets, and access to futures markets. We small traders do not have a one stop shop that is affordable to access these markets. That means E*Trade’s business has value at least in my eyes. And truly they have value. Not all loans default and neither do they default at the same time.

    This is the stock market’s Y2K moment of the year and Goldman Sacks and others are beating the drums to make money off a bunch over reactive small traders. Why do Goldman and Cramer play these games? Money is made off shorting stocks. And since they lost a decent amount of money on CDO’s they got people to prescribe to they figure they can make back their bonuses by driving people to sell and the have made the money off the short.
    Reply
  • commenter
    agosin
    Jan 10 02:50 PM
    Pharma, Biotech Present Great Investment Opportunities in 2008 [view article]
    The hidden jewel is Synta Pharm (SNTA). Only GSK has noticed.... Reply
  • commenter
    oxi_100
    Jan 09 01:36 PM
    Pharma, Biotech Present Great Investment Opportunities in 2008 [view article]
    Have anyone checked out oxigene? CEO Richard Chin have stated they will have a partner within next 6 months! It will be a deal close to what Antisoma got last year 890 milj$ or better. Check out oxigens market cap and do the math. It is a 10 bagger!

    Good Luck!     Reply
  • commenter
    borisb
    Dec 23 09:48 AM
    Biogen-Idec Looks Good Once Again [view article]
    i agree, the 50s pricing long(s) will probably turnout to be buying low. also BIIB might make its own aqusitions such as a Protein Design Labs and thus the business plan would progress. Reply
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