Meeting Alert: Watch These 6 Biotechs

Doctors are gathering in
Chicago this week to learn about the latest advances in their specialty,
advances that will be presented by many biotech companies hoping to cash in on
some very big market diseases. Urological diseases affect millions of men and
women worldwide and make up a market ripe for big growth in the next ten years,
as the population ages.

The urologic-disease markets
with the largest potential for growth in regards to the success of new
treatments includes incontinence, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), erectile
dysfunction (ED), and prostate cancer. Companies developing new treatments in
these disease categories have the best chance for short- and long-term growth
and this meeting will highlight several.

Indevus Pharmaceuticals

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meeting. The company will present full phase-3 clinical data on its core oral
drug trospium, for the treatment of incontinence. Again, incontinence is a big
disease market, especially in women. The current treatment today is not ideal,
mainly because it usually involves some type of surgery. Given a choice between
an effective pill and surgery, there is no contest. The phase-2 clinical data
looked good and the company plans to file a New Drug Application with the FDA
this quarter.

Since the birth of
Pfizer’s little blue pill Viagra, the entire corporate world knows about the
growing problem of erectile dysfunction, or ED. Well, this is the medical
meeting where erectile dysfunction will be a hot medical topic. In addition, ED
is also a hot topic in the corporate world because of its multibillion-dollar
market and potential for growth. For the last several years, Pfizer has had a
monopoly on the treatment for ED.

However, that is all changing with
companies like
Icos Corporation
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drug has already been approved in Europe and is gaining market share because it
works longer and supposedly has fewer side effects. It is expected to obtain FDA
approval here in the US in the third quarter.

At this week’s AUA meeting, companies such as
NexMed
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and Nastech
Pharmaceuticals
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present clinical data on their new treatments for erectile dysfunction. NexMed
is developing a topical drug (Alprox) for the treatment of ED. Alprox contains
the same active drug that is found in Viagra. In addition, the company is also
developing a topical drug (Femprox) for women with sexual arousal disorder (male
equivalent of erectile dysfunction). Nastech Pharmaceuticals will also present
clinical data on its new treatment for ED, intranasal apomorphine. Apomorphine
directly stimulates receptors in the brain directly responsible for the erectile
response.  The company is also testing this drug in women with female sexual
dysfunction.

Laserscope
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a company developing medical lasers and advanced fiber-optic approaches to the
treatment of disease, will also present clinical data at this week’s AUA
meeting. Laserscope will present data on its new laser technology to treat
benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. BPH is a growing problem in the aging male
population and companies are trying to develop minimally invasive ways to treat
this disease. Laserscope’s Photo-Selective Vaporization of the Prostate (PVP
technology) is starting to gain acceptance momentum amongst urologists. The
company hopes to continue to fuel that momentum with new data from a large study
at this week’s meeting.

Good Luck,

Paul Ruggieri MD