Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions). Our first question comes from Richard Siracusa - Merrill Lynch.
Richard Siracusa - Merrill Lynch
Joe, on that Cotara data that was reported yesterday, with the 41-week overall survival; isn’t that likely to increase as time goes by and these patients continue to live?
Joseph Shan
That’s a great question. This is interim data, and yes, the data can continue to increase. I think, if I recall correctly, this is through followups of up to 73 weeks or so and there are patients still obviously active on followup.
Richard Siracusa - Merrill Lynch
Also, in the same release you mentioned one patient from previous clinical trials that had survived over 8 years; I am assuming that there are other 2 years, 3 years, one full year; am I correct; survival?
Joseph Shan
That’s correct. Just to expand on that a little bit; certainly in all of the Cotara studies we have completed to-date or even in the ongoing study, we see a significant number of patients who end up having very long survival numbers and that really sticks out I think about the results we get from this drug, and again, we are giving the drug as a single agent in a single treatment. So, we’re really excited by the fact that for some patients this really does seem to make a big difference in their overall prognosis, and so that is of course what excites us about the program and really spurs us on to increase what we’re currently doing in the clinic.
Operator
Our next question comes from Roger Adams, a private investor.
Roger Adams - Private Investor
My question in regard to the company is a very exciting antiviral program and the scarcity of public information about them; everyone understands that these programs have been paid for with other people’s money like Duke and NIH, and they should be the first to get the spotlight, but after the Nature Medicine article was published, will you be able to talk more freely about things, non-DPRA, things like aerosol delivery, HIV microbicides, possible swine flu applications, etc., or will the public secrecy have to remain over those antiviral programs?
Steven W. King
Yes, it’s a good question, and certainly our goal is to see a number of publications, presentation, and such coming from this research to really just to let the public know how the programs are proceeding and what the results are looking at as they move forward, and also that things shine a light on what our future plans are for the program. So, I think we’ll have opportunities actually to not just talk about it or publish the work we’re doing with our collaborators like Duke and the other institutions involved in researching our antiviral applications of our PS technology, but also even some opportunities present data from the DPRA contract work and shine some light on how those studies are proceeding, and I believe that all of our collaborators are equally interested in seeing that information get out there in really the right formats and in the right settings. So, all those preparations are in work and I think you’ll see more coming out of the programs from a public standpoint over the coming months, and certainly we’re excited to get that information out there because we’re very happy with the way all of these studies are progressing and what we’re seeing in the pre-clinical study.
- To read the full transcript on Seeking Alpha, click here »




