Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions). And your first question comes from the line of Eun Yang.
Eun Yang – Jefferies & Company
Thanks. Regarding the Baxter collaboration for subcu GAMMAGARD, CSL also has subcutaneous immunoglobulin product that is currently under regulatory review. Could you Jonathan – could you comment on the difference between CSL product versus subcu GAMMAGARD from Baxter?
Jonathan Lim
Yes, so the CSL product which is called Vivaglobin is essentially a product that’s given subcutaneously. The problem with IGG when you take IGG without enzyme and you try and inject it subcutaneously is the fact that it has very low bioavailability or absorption in the bloodstream relative to the IV. So the bioavailability is on the order of roughly 63% or so. And as a result of that, you have to give a super high dose, so you have to give about 135% of what you would normally give.
You have to do it through multiple injection sites often four to six injection sites because you got to fractionate the doses and then you also have to give it weekly instead of monthly. So the benefit of subcutaneous GAMMAGARD with PH20 is the fact that the bioavailability in the Phase I-II study showed that the BA goes up to 93% or 92% and therefore allowing you to give just the usual dose of GAMMAGARD subcu through just one injection site and through once-monthly frequency instead of once weekly.
So from a convenience perspective, the value to the patient is significant, because they can continue to get the GAMMAGARD as an outpatient therapy through one injection site on a monthly basis.
Eun Yang – Jefferies & Company
Okay. And that’s helpful. And on – one question around financials, OpEx for third quarter was a little bit down sequentially. Is that the third quarter raised rate that we should assume for the remainder of the year?
Kurt Gustafson
I think typically our third quarter is a light spending just over the summer time periods. And I think if you take a look at our nine-month results and used that that might be a better trending sort of number.
Eun Yang – Jefferies & Company
Okay. Thank you.
Operator
And your next question comes from the line of Terence Flynn.
Terence Flynn – Lazard Capital Markets
Hi, thanks for taking the question. Just I was wondering if you guys can comment on now that Roche has announced the start of the Phase III Herceptin trial which is the first one under that collaboration, if that’s generated any interest among new potential partners and maybe you can provide us some insight into any discussions there. Thanks.
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