Frankie62

3 Reasons Not to Predict FDA Action: Matrixx, Savient, Dendreon

In addition DNDN has a similar treatment for breast cancer - Neuvenge which is in trials. The "packet" technology could have other applications as well. Manufacturing facilities are being prepared in NJ and GA as well as the Seattle location. Final BLA to be filed in Q4.

Stock Watch: TTNP, VNDA, DNDN, AGEN, ONTY

It's hard to imagine FDA refusing to approve Provenge since it met the goals set out by FDA. What a joke it was when the FDA panel voted almost unanimously to approve Provenge, then Dr. Scher etal sabbotaged the approval with their letter writing campaign. The fact that they were biased by their chemo and radiation connections (read $$) was never disclosed. FDA needs major restructuring. Lately they can't seem to approve anything and seem to be going after nit-picking details. Where is Scott Gottlieb when we need him?

Is IBB the Best Biotech ETF?

I'm surprised to see TEVA in the list of Holdings. Didn't realize they were into biotech, since their specialty is generics. TEVA also doesn't have much increase in earnings, since it is so big. So, is it a core holding, helping to stabilize earnings?

ETFs For Retirement

Interesting article, but isn't it a little heavy on IShares? Since the IShares portfolio is being sold, can we assume they will have adequate management? What about percentages for each fund - equal? Could have also mentioned how often to check on your retirement portfolio. (Many forgot to do that in the recent fiasco.) Spending less than you earn is always a good idea - especially in retirement. Certificates of Deposite may be better than equities for some - the interest rates will be going up when the expected inflation arrives.

Dendreon Investors Learn a Hard Lesson in Stop-Loss Orders

That fiasco was possibly criminal - just because you can do something doesn't make it moral. I was one who saw my portfolio significantly impacted by that one minute period. But you left out what happened the next day - DNDN closed at 22.94 a share. We only had to wait. Over and over on the IV message board experienced investors have screamed not to buy DNDN on margin and not to use stop losses. Besides the "phantom" shares problem which causes margin shares to be lent out, a stop loss can cause what happened the day before. Expensive lessons for some DNDN investors.

DNDN's Provenge will change the standard of care for cancer - it is being tested on breast cancer and other tumors as well as for earlier stage prostate cancer. Side effects are very mild, i.e. slight fever, unlike devastating chemotherapy and radiation - and the patient lives longer.

Dendreon 2007 Annual Report and How Provenge Will Propel Company

sdbanks left out that the primary opponent of Provenge wrote letters urging FDA NOT to approve Provenge for prostate cancer, in spite of the panel vote. There have been lawsuits filed. The same opponent has sources of revenue from the current "accepted" treatment - radiation and chemotherapy (which have devastating side effects), major conflicts of interest. The victims in final stages of PC have been begging for access to Provenge - it not only extends life, but there are virtually no side effects. DNDN's Provenge and Neuvenge are immunotherapies which are customized for each patient, using their individual blood.

Johnson & Johnson Is the Latest FDA Casualty

I agree with cyclingscholar. Allow the patients to decide, with the advice of their doctors. A new life-extending treatment should be allowed, especially when the FDA committee recognized it is effective and safe. FDA is becoming a cya organization - not just for patient risk, but for "consultant" doctor's risk to their bottom line ($$). Many in the FDA have true conflicts of interest - with ties to pharmaceutical companies payments. How could FDA have refused approval to Provenge, when it clearly was shown to extend life and have virtually no side affects? What terminal cancer patient would not choose a treatment with no side affects which may extend his life a few months, or years? Or would they choose to have devastating chemotherapy and be terribly ill for their remaining days? Let the patients decide for themselves - it's their life or death. Whatever happened to "First do no harm"?

Johnson & Johnson Is the Latest FDA Casualty

You may be right, cyclingscholor. FDA seems to have a cya attitude - not just for risk but also for the "consultant" doctors' piece of their pie. Many of them truly have conflicts of interest. Why would they approve a new drug or new treatment (see Provenge) which has virtually no side affects and extends life - their pharmaceutical company "consultant" ties might be negatively affected. But what patient in their right mind would choose miserable chemotherapy treatments if another less devastating immunotherapy is more effective. Let the patients decide, with their doctor's advice. And for goodness sake, separate the evaluation of headache treatments from the cancer and other life-saving treatments.

Frankie
On Nov 27 10:25 AM cyclingscholar wrote:

> How about an announcement like this:
>
> The FDA is fundamentally a flawed organization, attempting to balance
> risk and reward for drugs when this is best left to doctors, patients,
> and their families.
>
> Thus, from this point on FDA is to strictly an advisory agency. If
> they feel a drug is dangerous or ineffective, the sum total of their
> power shall be to issue the following proclamation:
>
> "WE BEAN COUNTERS AND STATISTICIANS AT FDA HAVE TESTED THIS DRUG
> AND FOUND IT INEFFECTIVE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. USE IT AT YOUR
> OWN RISK, AFTER CONSULTATION WITH YOUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL." <br/>
>
> cyclingscholar

Moral Hazard: A Danger to Our Financial System

Very well done indeed. Unfortunately many believe morality is relative - your evil is not my evil. As was said in "Wall Street", "Greed is good". Sadly the average American and his IRA / 401K is paying dearly for that greed.

Are Dendreon's "Naked Shorts" Running For Cover?

Well, finally the powers that be have decided naked shorting is a problem needing addressing. One of the most interesting "new" requirements is that the "borrowed" shares must actually be delivered by the end of the 3rd day - hmmm isn't that what the requirements were originally? Apparently the rules have not been enforced?! DUH! Too bad it took a financial market crash to remove the scales from their eyes.

As a DNDN stockholder I am definitely interested in this development, but I'm even more concerned with what this week has done to my overall retirement portfolio, even though I am not invested in the financial markets.

General Electric Presents a Dividend Opportunity

I am in the GE DRIP through a previous employer which was sold by GE when it didn't live up to GE expectations. This is one thing which GE does particularly well - divesting divisions which don't perform well enough. I have recently bought more GE because the dividend rate is higher than any CD you can buy, and there is expectation of increase in share price - since the price is now so low. With so much of its earnings coming from outside the US, the value of the US$ also helps. And I trust GE Capital (Financial) is much better at risk management than most US banks.

Some Consequences if Oil Prices Stay High

Sad Oil Git - Re Nuclear Waste - Do you realize there are often volcanos in that ring of fire around the techtonic plate edges? And mountain building goes on around techtonic plates - it could end up on top of or inside a mountain - what a great waterfall that would be. And do you really want to gamble that the waste will have made it down to the magma before a volcano erupts? Now that could be an interesting volcanic eruption if it included nuclear waste. That volcanic ash cloud could circle the globe in a short time. And those old familiar claims that we can bury the waste deep enough not to reappear in the ground water - I don't want to drink any of the "spring water" from that area - do you?

Owens-Illinois Continues to Grow

I agree this stock is a sleeper. Since I own it I hope it wakes up. Even though they recently sold their plastics division so they don't need oil for supply stock, I wonder what their source of fuel is - glass melts at a high temperature. Their transportation costs are probably going up and their debt seems a tad high to me. Supposedly 75% of their business comes from overseas. On the whole it sounds like a good investment to me - so why has the price dropped so much? Anyone??

Owens-Illinois Continues to Grow

I'm wondering how much the cost of power will affect OI - for manufacturing and transportation. What is their source of fuel? They are making all glass containers now so they don't need oil for materials, since they sold their plastic devision. And what about their debt - I would prefer it to be lower. Supposedly about 75% of their customers are overseas. Disclosure - I do own OI.

Lowest P/E Ratios in the Nasdaq 100

PETM looking good to me. No one ever seems to cut back on their dog's food and toys.