5 replies to this topic

[Happycat]

Imagine my surprise when I got a QA review to do on a new product a few weeks ago for, of all things, Bosutinib. My company has made an agreement with

Pfizer to sell it in research quantities, so other researchers can use it in their studies.  (Mind you, Pfizer has allowed a number of companies to sell it now.  I think they must be looking for more cash flow to make up for their patents that ran out!)

This represents a real change. Traditionally, Pfizer kept their clinical candidates under tight control. Allowing it to be sold to the research community, to do studies that Pfizer can't control, is a big change for them. Here's hoping it pays off for all of us!

Traci

[Judy2]

Hi Traci,

I've heard that Bosutinib is having less promising results than Ponatinib. Do you think this has anything to do with it?

Judy

[Trey]

The hope for Bosutinib from the CML patient's viewpoint is not to be stronger than the other drugs, but rather to have fewer side effects.  It does not work against T315i, and did not try to.  Its market niche could be reduced side effects, it that proves to be the case.

[Happycat]

Judy,

Honestly?  I think they are just looking for new streams of revenue. Drug development is truly very expensive, so cost mitigation is attractive.  Plus, as patents expire and they face competition from generics, they need to bring in more revenue somehow.

Some pharma companies have licensed their clinical candidates and drugs for sale to researchers for years. They've been making money by doing that for awhile, plus they get good press for doing it. Pfizer has only just started licensing their drugs for research purposes since 2010. Apparently, they liked the results, since they are now adding some clinical candidates as well.

I would not say that they licensed clinical candidates because they expect them to fail to get approval. I'm not sure why they chose to license the ones they offered us.

Traci

[Happycat]

They,

Yes, I think that is how Pfizer would position it, as a quality of life issue. It sounds a bit cleaner, doesn't hit PDGF or c-Kit, I think.

Traci

[CallMeLucky]

Unfortunately that may become a very tough sell for insurance against a generic form of Gleevec.