Over the next three months, April to June, PV-10 data will be presented and/or discussed in at least 6 presentations at five medical conferences. Never in Provectus' history has data been presented at so many venues in such a short period of time.
 |
| Click on the figure to enlarge it. |
Second, on April 11th, "PV-10 will be an integral part of..." the HemOnc Today - Melanoma and Cutaneous Malignancies Conference's Session 4: Local and Regional Therapy. The session will include Amgen's T-Vec, Vical's failed Allovectin-7, other intralesional therapies, and a debate about the role of systemic intralesional therapy.
Third, on May 7th, St. Luke's University Health Network's and Provectus principal investigator Dr. Sanjiv Agarwala will participate in a plenary session at the 10th European Association of Dermato-Oncology ("EADO") congress entitled New Drugs and new trials. Other drugs on the agenda include:
- Amgen's T-Vec,
- Bristol-Myer's Yervoy (ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA4 agent),
- Roche's MPDL3280A (an anti-PD-L1 agent),
- BMS' nivolumab (an anti-PD-1 agent),
- BMS' combination of Yervoy and nivolumab,
- Merck's MK-3475 (an anti-PD-1 agent), and
- OncoSec's ImmunoPulse.
 |
| Click on the figure to enlarge it. |
Amgen, Bristol-Myers, Roche, Merck and...Provectus.
Fourth, on June 2nd, Dr. Agarwala will present a poster at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology ("ASCO") during the day's Poster Highlight Session (in addition to the regular poster presentation day and time) entitled Assessment of immune and clinical efficacy after intralesional PV-10 in injected and uninjected metastatic melanoma lesions. The focus likely should be on the 28-patient data subset of Provectus' metastatic melanoma Phase 2 trial that formed the basis of the company's breakthrough therapy designation ("BTD") application.
You know, the BTD submission stated or commented on publicly by management [at least] 11 times thus far --five press releases, three Provectus News items (to be fair, BTD submission was picked up by third parties), two 8-Ks, one 10-K, and a partridge in a pear tree -- and on the website.
I'm obviously poking fun at management. For a company with a history of being somewhat opaque or obtuse in communications regarding clinical data, regulatory interaction, and other matters, it's not unreasonable for the casual observer to think Provectus currently is promotional in regards to their BTD submission. The change in stride certainly is notable. Once or twice, in an SEC filing, I get. But, more than ten times? The same casual observer might think it strange; however, long-time investors who have done their due diligence on Eric's historical interactions with the FDA along the company's regulatory approval journey understand, and I think the company has said as much in its PRs: the Agency appears to have (has) agreed tumor-based endpoints (i.e., complete response: "...if you inject PV-10 into melanoma tumors, the tumors go away...") and not survival-based endpoints (e.g., overall survival, progression free survival, etc.) are appropriate for approving this drug. If you assume this Agency embracing of PV-10 and hurdle-clearing of endpoints, and I cannot fault folks if they don't, one could understand management's confidence in securing BTD, and then (and only then) these many BTD submission mentions.
BTD, in some respects, marks the beginning of a potentially speedy pathway to approval. The decision tree might be one of the FDA either (a) requiring the company to conduct a bridging study in order to file a new drug application ("NDA") for PV-10 -- "...before...we have approval to sell PV-10..." -- or (b) permitting the study to be a post-marketing requirement/commitment -- "...after we have approval to sell PV-10..."
Managing our investment in Provectus of course requires me to manage risk. Even as a presumably well-informed investor, it's still very hard for me to assume a BTD award is in the bag. Probable, yes. Certain, no. The FDA may say no, and the company (like others turned down before them) very likely would have been told by the Agency to obtain more clinical data. But, as I wrote in my post Provectus Submits Application to FDA for Breakthrough Therapy Designation, the FDA doesn't want nor does it encourage companies to submit BTD applications that are more likely to be turned down than accepted. One would imagine the boldness with which management speaks of BTD suggests they very strongly believe they'll attain it (because of interactions with the Agency that suggest so) on, before or well before May 23rd.
Fifth, also on June 2nd, Moffitt will present a poster at ASCO, also during the day's Poster Highlight Session (again, in addition to the regular poster presentation day and time) entitled Assessment of immune and clinical efficacy after intralesional PV-10 in injected and uninjected metastatic melanoma lesions. This presentation should elaborate on both the clinical (MOA step #1, ablation/destruction of injected lesions) and immune (MOA step #2, immune response/destruction of non-injected lesions) efficacy observed in patients enrolled in the cancer center's feasibility study, where Moffitt essentially experimented on them.
Sixth, on June 27th, Moffitt's Dr. Vernon Sondak will participate in a symposium session at the 4th European Post-Chicago Melanoma/Skin Cancer Meeting entitled New drugs and trials: An update on immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Other drugs on the agenda include:
Bristol-Myers, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Amgen, Celgene and...Provectus.
This month and over the next two, we can expect a lot of pre-clinical and clinical PV-10 data, and potentially a positive BTD decision. More data and MOA elucidation is good (and I am very much looking forward to reading them). Regulatory clarity and steps (i.e., BTD and what comes with it) is better, and very, very necessary for this company.
But how now China? And/or other regional transactions? And/or the endgame?
If management believes it will get BTD for PV-10 for locally advanced melanoma, thinks they might have to conduct a bridging study prior to filing the NDA (i.e., in this case de facto approval) "at worst," has about $16 million of cash on the balance sheet (see the company's March 24th PR), and possibly estimates the cost of a bridging study at $5-$10 million or thereabouts (comparable or less if the trial is terminated early, and some patient number overlap is acceptable to the various geographical regulatory agencies), why consummate a deal with a Chinese partner or any partner for that matter until after a BTD decision and clarity is achieved as to the step(s) toward and after approval?
I'm particularly interested in Dr. Agarwala's ASCO presentation, which will focus on the 28-patient subset that formed the basis for Provectus' BTD application and in all likelihood its awarding. This data was first broken out at the 2013 European Cancer Congress in September: Exploratory Data Analyses of Intralesional PV-10 Clinical Phase 2 Study Results Presented at ECC 2013 Demonstrate Effective Locoregional Disease Control and Support Systemic Immunologic Activity in Refractory Metastatic Melanoma:
If one were to not consider the non-evaluable subjects (NEV above), loco-regional control of the disease -- the value proposition underscoring approval of PV-10 for locally advanced melanoma: the drug forestalls or defeats the spread of the disease to a metastatic stage, or alternatively "...if you inject PV-10 into melanoma tumors, the tumors go away..." -- increases to 88%.
Craig would tell you the residual percentage, 12% w/o NEV (or 18% as presented at ECC 2013 for the full subset), is more than likely due to physicians not injecting the lesions properly and thus not getting the expected result. The results PV-10 and PH-10 generate appear to be startlingly consistent from properly injected lesion (volume of drug per unit volume of tumor, proper administration) to properly injected lesion.
88% loco-regional control, and you want to do a deal now? Wouldn't it make sense to wait or seriously contemplate waiting until after a decision (unless a counter party aggressively bids for a deal, which doesn't appear to be the case at the moment)? There is of course risk in doing so; however, if you're supremely confident based on clinical data and regulatory interaction heretofore, you wait. Wait for the bigger regional check as milestone payments turn into upfront payments based on what transpires regulatory-wise. Wait to submit a BTD application or two for your liver program (e.g., in combination with maintenance sorafenib, cancers metastatic to the liver). Wait until impatient Big Pharma with drugs and compounds that are not sufficiently efficacious or safe, and very expensive, see their respective Kodak moment coming and decide to deal. By Kodak moment, I specifically mean technology disruption that could end in a near-zero sum game in the case of PV-10. If you own it you survive, and flourish. If you don't...
As folks line up to associate themselves with Provectus, and/or deal with the company, Pfizer might lose first mover advantage. Provectus has three executives from two Top 15 ranked (by pharmaceutical sales) companies on its strategic advisory board. It may add executives from up to three more Top 15 firms.
There is much for the company to accomplish before thoughts of the end-game can and should percolate. And although I've written often on this blog that I think Pfizer will be the end-game acquirer, and a topic for another post, it's not a given the company with the biggest checkbook (and the nose under the tent for the longest time) wins. Vision, strategic rationale, ambitiousness and, ultimately, verve, together with a not inconsequential balance sheet should win the M&A day.
Fourth, on June 2nd, Dr. Agarwala will present a poster at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology ("ASCO") during the day's Poster Highlight Session (in addition to the regular poster presentation day and time) entitled Assessment of immune and clinical efficacy after intralesional PV-10 in injected and uninjected metastatic melanoma lesions. The focus likely should be on the 28-patient data subset of Provectus' metastatic melanoma Phase 2 trial that formed the basis of the company's breakthrough therapy designation ("BTD") application.
You know, the BTD submission stated or commented on publicly by management [at least] 11 times thus far --five press releases, three Provectus News items (to be fair, BTD submission was picked up by third parties), two 8-Ks, one 10-K, and a partridge in a pear tree -- and on the website.
BTD, in some respects, marks the beginning of a potentially speedy pathway to approval. The decision tree might be one of the FDA either (a) requiring the company to conduct a bridging study in order to file a new drug application ("NDA") for PV-10 -- "...before...we have approval to sell PV-10..." -- or (b) permitting the study to be a post-marketing requirement/commitment -- "...after we have approval to sell PV-10..."
 |
| Click on the figure to enlarge it. |
Fifth, also on June 2nd, Moffitt will present a poster at ASCO, also during the day's Poster Highlight Session (again, in addition to the regular poster presentation day and time) entitled Assessment of immune and clinical efficacy after intralesional PV-10 in injected and uninjected metastatic melanoma lesions. This presentation should elaborate on both the clinical (MOA step #1, ablation/destruction of injected lesions) and immune (MOA step #2, immune response/destruction of non-injected lesions) efficacy observed in patients enrolled in the cancer center's feasibility study, where Moffitt essentially experimented on them.
Sixth, on June 27th, Moffitt's Dr. Vernon Sondak will participate in a symposium session at the 4th European Post-Chicago Melanoma/Skin Cancer Meeting entitled New drugs and trials: An update on immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Other drugs on the agenda include:
- Bristol-Myer's Yervoy (ipilimumab),
- BMS' nivolumab,
- Merck's MK-3475,
- GlaxoSmithKline's failed MAGE-A3 (a cancer vaccine),
- Amgen's T-Vec,
- OncoSec's ImmunoPulse, and
- Celgene's Abraxane (chemotherapy nab-paclitaxel).
 |
| Click on the figure to enlarge it. |
But how now China? And/or other regional transactions? And/or the endgame?
If management believes it will get BTD for PV-10 for locally advanced melanoma, thinks they might have to conduct a bridging study prior to filing the NDA (i.e., in this case de facto approval) "at worst," has about $16 million of cash on the balance sheet (see the company's March 24th PR), and possibly estimates the cost of a bridging study at $5-$10 million or thereabouts (comparable or less if the trial is terminated early, and some patient number overlap is acceptable to the various geographical regulatory agencies), why consummate a deal with a Chinese partner or any partner for that matter until after a BTD decision and clarity is achieved as to the step(s) toward and after approval?
I'm particularly interested in Dr. Agarwala's ASCO presentation, which will focus on the 28-patient subset that formed the basis for Provectus' BTD application and in all likelihood its awarding. This data was first broken out at the 2013 European Cancer Congress in September: Exploratory Data Analyses of Intralesional PV-10 Clinical Phase 2 Study Results Presented at ECC 2013 Demonstrate Effective Locoregional Disease Control and Support Systemic Immunologic Activity in Refractory Metastatic Melanoma:
 |
| Click the table to enlarge it. Poster source is here. |
88% loco-regional control, and you want to do a deal now? Wouldn't it make sense to wait or seriously contemplate waiting until after a decision (unless a counter party aggressively bids for a deal, which doesn't appear to be the case at the moment)? There is of course risk in doing so; however, if you're supremely confident based on clinical data and regulatory interaction heretofore, you wait. Wait for the bigger regional check as milestone payments turn into upfront payments based on what transpires regulatory-wise. Wait to submit a BTD application or two for your liver program (e.g., in combination with maintenance sorafenib, cancers metastatic to the liver). Wait until impatient Big Pharma with drugs and compounds that are not sufficiently efficacious or safe, and very expensive, see their respective Kodak moment coming and decide to deal. By Kodak moment, I specifically mean technology disruption that could end in a near-zero sum game in the case of PV-10. If you own it you survive, and flourish. If you don't...
As folks line up to associate themselves with Provectus, and/or deal with the company, Pfizer might lose first mover advantage. Provectus has three executives from two Top 15 ranked (by pharmaceutical sales) companies on its strategic advisory board. It may add executives from up to three more Top 15 firms.
 |
| Click on the figure to enlarge it. The table source is here. |
No comments:
Post a Comment