Aeterna - Der Top-Pick 2004 ?! - 500 Beiträge pro Seite (Seite 2)

[derschweizer]

@cristrader

Hi cristrader,

na was macht die Kunst?
Ich habe schon lange nichts mehr von dir gehört, schade.
Aezs das Sorgenkind verströmt im Moment auch wenig Freude.
Werde das Gefühl nicht los, dass ich noch der einzig Investierte bin.

gruß derschweizer

[KnigRollo]

nö, bin auch dabei und standhaft...

[blb]

Ist schon krass wie sich der Kurs entgegen der guten Fundamentals nach unten bewegt. Umsätze tendieren auch gegen 0...

[derschweizer]

Hi KnigRollo,

standhaft muss "Mann" bei der Perle sein.

Wie schätzt du die Situation zur Zeit ein?
Seit Monaten kennt der Kurs nur noch eine Richtung.

derschweizer

[derschweizer]

[posting]17.208.846 von blb am 11.07.05 20:22:21[/posting]Hallo blb,

willkommen im Club

Ja, die guten Fundamentals waren der Hauptgrund warum ich in AEZS eingestiegen bin.
Eigentlich hat sich seitdem nichts zum negativen verändert, im Gegenteil und trotzdem dieser Absturz.
Ich grüble und hirne schon lange was der wirkliche Grund sein könnte.

gruß derschweizer

[cristrader]

Hallo derschweizer!

Habe vor einigen Wochen vor allen Dingen aus steuerlichen Gründen den größten Teil in YMI umgeschichtet.

Bin nach wie vor absolut von AEZS überzeugt. Es wird allerdings mal wieder Zeit für eine positive News. Es stehen in den nächsten Wochen allerdings keine "bahnbrechenden" News an die den Kurs nach oben treiben. Ich rechne mit einem ähnlichen Kursverlauf wie im letzten Sommer. Ich hoffe rechtzeitig wieder im vollen Umfang dabei zu sein!

Grüße cristrader

[derschweizer]

27.07.2005 13:35
AEterna Zentaris Announces 2005 Second Quarter Financial and Operating Results Conference Call and Webcast

QUEBEC CITY, Canada, July 27 /PRNewswire AEterna Zentaris (Nachrichten) (TSX: AEZ; Nasdaq: AEZS) announced that its quarterly conference call and webcast have been scheduled for Wednesday, August 3, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. The call will follow the press release of AEterna Zentaris` 2005 second quarter financial results issued earlier on the same day. Participants may access the live webcast via the Company`s website at http://www.aeternazentaris.com/ in the "investors" section, or by telephone using the following numbers: 416-640-4127, 514-807-8791 or 1-800-814-4941.

A replay of the webcast will also be available on the website for a period of 30 days.

gruß derschweizer

[derschweizer]

AEterna Zentaris Reports 2005 Second Quarter Financial and Operating Results
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 03, 2005 7:32 AM
- PR Newswire


QUEBEC CITY, Aug 03, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- AEterna Zentaris Inc. (CA:AEZ) (AEZS) today reported financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2005. Consolidated revenues for the second quarter 2005 were $74.8 million compared to $65.8 million for the same period in 2004, an increase of 13.7%. Consolidated R&D expenses net of tax credits amounted to $7.6 million in the second quarter of 2005 compared to $8.7 million in the second quarter of 2004, a decrease of 12.6%. Consolidated earnings from operations for the second quarter 2005 were $4.3 million, compared to $9.2 million for the second quarter 2004, a decrease of 53.2%. On the other hand, the Company`s consolidated net earnings were $16.4 million, or $0.36 per basic share and $0.35 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2005 compared to $1.3 million, or $0.03 per basic and diluted share for the comparable period in 2004.

The $9 million increase in consolidated revenues during the second quarter 2005 is attributable to an increase of $15.1 million revenues from our subsidiary Atrium combined with a decrease of $6.1 million revenues from our biopharmaceutical segment. This decrease in the biopharmaceutical revenues is all attributable to a $6.5 million non-recurring milestone payment gained from Solvay Pharmaceuticals in the 2004 second quarter. Net earnings for the second quarter of 2005 include a non-cash and non-recurring gain on dilution of $20.3 million recorded following the decrease of AEterna Zentaris` interest in its subsidiary Atrium from 61.1% to 50.1% mainly as a result of Atrium`s April 6, 2005 IPO.

As of June 30, 2005, the Company had consolidated cash and short-term investments of $64 million, including $46.7 million dedicated to the biopharmaceutical segment. The Company generated consolidated positive cash flow from operating activities of $4.3 million in the second quarter 2005. The burn rate for the biopharmaceutical segment in the second quarter 2005 was $3 million as expected.

During the second quarter 2005, the Company continued to advance the product pipeline with the initiation of three new clinical trials in Europe and the United States with ozarelix, the new name for D-63153. Ozarelix is a fourth generation LHRH (Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone) antagonist product administered as a depot formulation. These trials include one Phase II in Europe in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer and another Phase II in Europe in benign prostate hyperplasia, together with a Phase I/II in the United States in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer that was initiated in collaboration with our North American partner Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (SPPI) . Ozarelix (D-63153), which allows for chronic intermittent treatment, could improve clinical symptoms of these diseases while overcoming some of the limitations associated with currently marketed therapies.

Furthermore, our lead signal transduction inhibitor in cancer, perifosine, yielded positive Phase II results in 25 patients suffering from hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Investigators concluded that perifosine is feasible, well-tolerated and can reduce PSA (Prostatic Specific Antigen) in some patients. Following those results, Phase II trials with perifosine in combination with androgen ablation and chemotherapy are expected to be initiated by our North American partner Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (KERX) later this year.

In the field of growth hormone modulators, EP-1572 also yielded positive Phase I results. The study provided clear evidence that this compound is able to induce a significant rise in growth hormone levels after oral administration in healthy volunteers. Potential applications include treatment for growth retardation in children and cachexia associated with chronic disease such as AIDS and cancer. EP-1572, the orally-administered specific growth hormone secretagogue in development, presents a major competitive advantage in terms of ease and convenience of delivery over current treatments which are only available through injections. Other Phase I clinical trials are currently ongoing to further assess the potential of EP-1572 in growth hormone related disorders.

"At the clinical level, the last quarter was marked by the progress of ozarelix, the new name for D-63153, in prostate cancer and in benign prostate hyperplasia," said Gilles Gagnon, AEterna Zentaris` President and Chief Executive Officer. "Ozarelix, which we intend to aggressively pursue the development over the next year, is now considered as another lead product in our promising LHRH antagonist therapeutic approach, along with cetrorelix which is currently in late stage clinical trials in benign prostate hyperplasia and in endometriosis. As for perifosine, our lead product in the signal transduction inhibitor therapeutic approach, it pursued its progress into further Phase II trials. In addition, we continued to advance other clinical and preclinical products through our pipeline according to our strategic drug development program focused on oncology and endocrinology. In doing so, we feel confident that we are well on our way of developing a deep pipeline of innovative products for the benefit of patients coping with serious diseases while building value for our shareholders," concluded Mr. Gagnon.

Dennis Turpin, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of AEterna Zentaris, added, "Our financial position continues to be strong. On a consolidated basis, we remained cash flow positive and our cash and short-term position reached $64 million as of June 30, 2005. Considering our strong financial position, we will continue to make high-level R&D investments to maintain and grow a broad pipeline of drug development programs with both near-term and long-term potential.

AEterna Zentaris Six-Month Consolidated Financial Results

Consolidated revenues for the first half of 2005 increased 21.2% to $150.7 million, compared to $124.3 million for the first half of 2004. The Company reported year-to-date 2005 consolidated earnings from operations of $12.3 million, compared to $10.8 million for the same period a year earlier. Consolidated net earnings for the first six months of 2005 were $16.5 million, or $0.36 per basic and diluted share, compared to a consolidated net loss of $1.2 million, or $0.03 per basic and diluted share, for the first six months of 2004.

Conference Call Information

Management will be hosting a conference call for the investment community beginning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time today, Wednesday, August 3, to discuss 2005 second quarter financial and operating results and answer questions.

Sehr Gute Zahlen, mal sehen wie der Kurs reagiert

grüße derschweizer

[derschweizer]

@ all

Neue Präsentation, August 2005

http://www.aeternazentaris.com/pdfdyn/Presentation_%20Aetern…

Gruß derschweizer

[cristrader]

Endlich mal wieder News!

AEterna Zentaris Announces Completion of Patient Enrollment for Ozarelix (D-63153) Phase II Trial in Hormone-Dependent Prostate Cancer
Monday August 29, 9:03 am ET


QUEBEC CITY, Aug. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - AEterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ - News; NASDAQ: AEZS - News) today announced that it has completed enrollment for a Phase II trial with ozarelix (D-63153) in hormone-dependent prostate cancer, ahead of the projected schedule. This multicenter trial is designed to evaluate the effects of ozarelix on hormonal levels, in particular testosterone, as well as objective anti-tumor effects. This multicenter open- label trial involving 48 patients is being conducted in Europe in collaboration with its partner Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: SPPI - News).

"We are very pleased with this performance in completing patient enrollment within only four months for this European Phase II trial. In addition to reflecting the recognized expertise in oncology at both AEterna Zentaris and Spectrum, this speedy recruitment represents an additional vote of confidence from our investigators towards our LHRH antagonist approach. Given the required follow-up period, we now look forward to disclosing full data results at major conferences in early 2006," stated Gilles Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer at AEterna Zentaris.

About Ozarelix (D-63153) and Development Alliance with

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals

Ozarelix (D-63153) is a fourth generation LHRH (Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone) antagonist administered as a depot formulation for the treatment of hormone-dependent prostate cancer.

In August 2004, AEterna Zentaris granted Spectrum Pharmaceuticals an exclusive license to develop and market ozarelix (D-63153) for all potential indications in North America (including Canada and Mexico) and India. AEterna Zentaris retains exclusive rights to the rest of the world and will share with Spectrum upfront and milestone payments, royalties or profits from potential sales in Japan.

About Prostate Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society`s 2004 Cancer Facts and Figures, over 230,000 new prostate cancer cases are projected in the United States in 2005. With an estimated 30,000 deaths, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men in the U.S. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, one in six American men will develop prostate cancer in the course of his lifetime.

About AEterna Zentaris Inc.

AEterna Zentaris Inc. is an oncology and endocrine therapy focused biopharmaceutical company with proven expertise in drug discovery, development and marketing. The Company`s broad 20 product pipeline leverages six different therapeutic approaches, including LHRH antagonists and signal transduction inhibitors. The lead LHRH antagonist compound, cetrorelix, is currently marketed for in vitro fertilization under the brand name Cetrotide®. Cetrorelix is also in late-stage clinical development for endometriosis and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The lead signal transduction inhibitor compound, perifosine, is a novel, first-in-class, oral anticancer agent that modulates several key signal transduction pathways, including AKT, MAPK, and JNK that have been shown to be critical for the survival of cancer cells. Perifosine has demonstrated single agent anti-tumor activity in Phase I and Phase II studies and is currently being studied as a single agent and in combination with several forms of anti-cancer treatments for various forms of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer.

AEterna Zentaris also owns 50.1% of Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. (TSX: ATB.sv - News), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of value-added products for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and nutritional industries.


Grüße cristrader

[blb]

Langsam springt der Kurs an...

[cristrader]

http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/September2005/13/c9220…

Standard & Poor`s Announces Changes In S&P/TSX Canadian Indices

AEZS fliegt aus TSX Index heraus!



Grüße cristrader

[cristrader]

Hallo!

AEterna Zentaris Initiates Multi-Center Phase II trial of Perifosine in Combination with Radiotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Thursday September 22, 8:02 am ET


QUEBEC CITY, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - AEterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ - News; Nasdaq: AEZS - News) today announced the initiation of a European multi- center Phase II trial of perifosine, a novel, first-in-class, oral signal transduction inhibitor, in combination with radiotherapy, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This exploratory, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will assess the efficacy and safety of a 150 mg daily dose of perifosine when combined with radiotherapy in 160 patients with inoperable Stage III NSCLC.
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Patients will receive perifosine daily for 5 to 6 weeks, starting 7 days prior to radiotherapy, and will be followed up for at least 12 months. The primary endpoint of this trial will be the extent and duration of local control, i.e. the absence of tumor recurrence or progression in the area that has been irradiated.

The trial is being conducted in collaboration with the Netherlands Cancer Institute. The lead investigator is Marcel Verheij, MD PhD, of the Department of Radiation Oncology / Division of Cellular Biochemistry, at The Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam.

Dr. Verheij was the lead investigator in a prior Phase I trial with perifosine in combination with radiotherapy. Results of that trial were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in June 2004. A total of 21 radiotherapy-naive patients, of whom 17 had advanced non-small cell lung cancer (1 Stage IIIA, 15 Stage IIIB, 1 Stage IV) and 14 had become refractory to prior chemotherapy, received oral perifosine doses ranging from 50 mg to 200 mg/day concurrently with standard doses of radiotherapy. The trial data demonstrated the following: (i) acceptable safety and tolerability, with 150 mg/day established as the dose recommended for use in subsequent clinical trials; (ii) dose limiting toxicity (nausea/vomiting) at 200 mg/day; (iii) no bone marrow toxicity; and (iv) preliminary evidence of anti-tumor activity at all dosage levels, including complete or partial responses (complete disappearance and decreased tumor size, respectively), or stable disease, with a median follow-up for responders of 8 months.

Importantly, in the cohort of 10 patients who were treated with 150 mg/day established as the dose recommended for and now used in this Phase II trial, there were 3 complete responses (2 NSCLC and 1 esophageal cancer), 3 partial responses (2 NSCLC and 1 prostate cancer), and 4 patients with stable disease. In addition, a patient with bladder cancer who received 50 mg/day perifosine had an unexpected finding, namely a long-lasting complete response.

"There is sound scientific, preclinical and early clinical rationale for using perifosine to increase the efficacy of radiotherapy while maintaining favourable tolerability and avoiding overlapping toxicity", said Dr. Jurgen Engel, Executive Vice President, Global R&D and Chief Operating Officer at AEterna Zentaris. "The initiation of this trial is a significant step in further exploring the potential of perifosine as an important therapeutic approach that can improve the outcomes of advanced NSCLC patients treated with radiotherapy."

Gilles Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer at AEterna Zentaris added, "This large Phase II trial assessing perifosine in combination with radiotherapy, in addition to ongoing studies by our North American partner Keryx Biopharmaceuticals with perifosine in monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy, are all aimed at establishing perifosine as a potential breakthrough cancer drug and reflect our commitment in building a solid oncology franchise at AEterna Zentaris."

About Perifosine

Perifosine is a novel, first-in-class, oral anticancer agent that modulates several key signal transduction pathways, including AKT, MAPK, and JNK that have been shown to be critical for the survival of cancer cells. To date, approximately 350 patients have been treated with perifosine at various doses and schedules. From a clinical safety perspective, no dose-limiting toxicity, other than gastro-intestinal toxicity, has been observed.

Perifosine has demonstrated single agent anti-tumor activity in Phase I and Phase II studies. As a single agent, perifosine was the object of a large screening Phase II program funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute in collaboration with AEterna Zentaris` North American partner, Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: KERX - News). Finding from these screening studies led investigators to conclude that perifosine in monotherapy could be further investigated in soft tissue sarcoma, melanoma as well as breast, prostate and non-small cell lung cancer, while it was advised not to pursue studies with perifosine in monotherapy in head and neck and pancreatic cancer.

Keryx has initiated a large Phase II trial program with perifosine. In monotherapy, foreseen indications are non-small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. In combination therapy, studies have been or will soon be initiated with agents such as Gemcitabine (pancreatic cancer), Paclitaxel/Taxol, Docetaxel/Taxotere, as well as with biologic agents such as Herceptin in breast cancer.

About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common form of the disease and accounts for almost 80 percent of all lung cancers. According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 1.2 million cases of lung and bronchial cancer worldwide each year. It is estimated that more than 173,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States in 2005. According to the National Cancer Institute, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and is responsible for nearly 30 percent of cancer deaths in this country.

About AEterna Zentaris Inc.

AEterna Zentaris Inc. is a growing global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and marketing of therapies for cancer and endocrine disorders.

AEterna Zentaris also owns 50.03% of Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. (TSX: ATB.sv - News), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of science-based products for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and nutritional industries.

News releases and additional information are available at www.aeternazentaris.com .


Grüße cristrader

[cristrader]

Atrium Continues its Growth with 29% Increase in Revenues and 34% Increase in Net Earnings for Third Quarter 2005
Wednesday November 9, 6:30 am ET
All amounts are in Canadian dollars


QUEBEC CITY, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. (TSX: ATB.sv - News) today announced that it had revenues of $52.9 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2005, up 29% from $41 million for the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal year. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) for the third quarter of 2005 were $6.4 million, down 2% from $6.5 million for the same period last year. EBIT would have increased by 7%, if we excluded the foreign exchange impact of 9%. Net earnings increased 34% to $3.7 million for the third quarter of 2005, compared to $2.8 million for the same period last year. "These results continue to clearly demonstrate that our growth strategy based on accretive acquisitions, the introduction of new products and the penetration of new markets continues to pay off," said Luc Dupont, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atrium.
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Earnings per share were $0.13 per share for the quarter compared to $0.12 per share for the third quarter of last year. The significant increase in net earnings allowed the Company to maintain earnings per share basically unchanged even though the weighted average number of shares outstanding was 29.1 million during the third quarter 2005 compared to 22.7 million during the third quarter 2004. The increase in shares outstanding is mainly due to the issuance of shares for the initial public offering completed on April 6, 2005 and the acquisition of the minority interest in its subsidiary Unipex.

Cash flows from operations (before changes in non-cash working capital items) for the quarter were $5.1 million, up 20% from $4.2 million for the same period last year.

On September 15, 2005, Atrium entered into a tax loss monetization program with its parent company AEterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ, NASDAQ: AEZS). The Company believes that this program will allow it to benefit from a part of AEterna Zentaris` tax losses and result in future annual savings of $3 million.

Recent Developments

On November 8, 2005, the Company modified its existing $75 million revolving credit facility to increase the authorized amount to $125 million with the flexibility to increase it up to $200 million. As of September 30, 2005, $9 million was drawn under the existing facility. "Our cash flow generating capacity and new credit facility will allow the Company to fund future acquisitions to reinforce our existing leadership position in each of our operating divisions," added Mr. Dupont.

Board of Directors

Pierre Laurin, Chairman of the Board of Atrium, announced the appointment of Placide Poulin to the Board of Atrium. Mr. Poulin is the founder and former Chairman of the Board of MAAX Inc., a North American leader in the bath, kitchen and spa sectors with over $500 million in sales prior to the sale of the company in 2004. Also, Jacques Gauthier is appointed to the Audit Committee replacing former Board member Yves Milord.

"We are delighted to be able to count on Mr. Poulin`s expertise and vast business experience to pursue our strategic plan", stated Pierre Laurin. "I would also like to thank Mr. Milord for his contribution during the last years."

Nine-Month Financial Results

For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2005, revenues were $174.6 million compared to $133.8 million in 2004, representing a 30% increase. EBIT increased 13% to $22.7 million, compared to $20 million for the same period in 2004. Again, excluding the foreign exchange impact of 9%, EBIT would have increased by 22%. Net earnings increased 21% to $12.6 million or $0.46 per share, compared to $10.4 million or $0.46 per share for the same period in 2004. The weighted average number of shares outstanding was 27.3 million during the period compared to 22.7 million during the same period last year.

About Atrium

Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of science-based products for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and nutrition industries. Atrium focuses primarily on growing segments of the health and personal care markets which are benefiting from the trends towards healthy living and the ageing of the population. Atrium markets a broad portfolio of active ingredients, specialty chemicals and health and nutrition finished products through its highly specialized sales and marketing network in more than 35 countries, primarily in North America, Europe and Asia. Additional information about Atrium is available on its Web site at www.atrium-bio.com.

Atrium 2005 Third Quarter Financial Information

Atrium`s 2005 Third Quarter Shareholder Report (which contains Atrium`s 2005 Third Quarter MD&A and unaudited consolidated financial statements) and other relevant financial information are available at www.atrium-bio.com in the "Investors" section. Atrium`s 2005 Third Quarter Shareholder Report is also available on the Web sites maintained by the Canadian securities regulators at www.sedar.com.

Conference Call and Webcast

Atrium will hold its quarterly conference call and webcast to discuss its third quarter results on November 9, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Participants may access the call by using the following numbers: 416-640-4127, 514-807-8791 or 800-814-4859. A live webcast is also available via the Company`s website at www.atrium-bio.com in the "Investors" section. A replay of the webcast will also be available on our website for a period of 30 days.


Grüße cristrader

[zeitreisen]

Hallo,

ich möchte für die weitere Diskussion zwar kein Wasser in die Suppe kippen, aber es bedeutet sicher Böses, wenn AEterna aus dem NASDAQ Biotechnology Index ausgelistet wird:

"Semi-Annual Changes to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index

NEW YORK, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("NASDAQ") (Nasdaq: NDAQ) announced today the results of the semi-annual re- ranking of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index(R) (Nasdaq: NBI), which will become effective with the market open on Monday, November 21, 2005.

The re-ranking will result in 17 securities being added to the Index. All securities are classified according to the FTSE Global Classification System(TM) as biotechnology or pharmaceutical. The securities that meet the classification criteria then must meet other Index eligibility criteria including listing on the NASDAQ National Market(R) and meeting minimum requirements for market value, average daily share volume and seasoning as a public company. The Index is ranked on a semi-annual basis in May and November. For more information about the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, including eligibility criteria, visit http://www.NASDAQ.com.

As a result of the re-ranking, AEterna Zentaris, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEZS), Corgentech Inc. (Nasdaq: CGTK), Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CIPH), GTx, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTXI), La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (Nasdaq: LJPC), Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) and PRAECIS PHARMACEUTICALS INCORPORATED (Nasdaq: PRCSD) will be removed from the Index.

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index is the basis for the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index(SM) Fund (Amex: IBB), which seeks investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index before fees and expenses. In addition, options based on the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index and the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund trade on various exchanges.
[...]"

Quelle: http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20051…

Weitere erhebliche Kursverluste sind damit wohl sicher.

zeitreisen

[cristrader]

@zeitreisen

Der aktuelle Kurssturz wurde durch die Index-Auslistung aufgrund fehlender Marktkapitalisierung ausgelöst weil ein/einige Fonds ihre Positionen glattstellen mussten. Weitere Kursverluste halte ich im Prinzip für völlig ausgeschlossen. Alles andere als ein kräftiger Kursschub am Montag würde mich sehr überraschen.

In den letzten Wochen kamen erstmals Andeutungen vom Management ihren Atrium-Biotechnologies Anteil zu verkaufen. Das würde bei aktuellen Kursen mehr als 150 Mio US$ einbringen! Im Moment bekommt man die komplette Pipeline inkl. der bereits vermarkteten Produkte (Cetrotide =mehr als 15 Mio US$ feste Revenues) für lau.

Kannst du mir auch nur ein einziges anderes profitables Biotechunternehmen nennen mit vergleichbarer Bewertung?

Das aktuelle Problem AEZS liegt eher darin das in nächster Zeit keine relevanten Pipeline -News zu erwarten sind. Die als relativ sicher anzunehmende Zulassung von Cetrorelix in der Indikation Endometriose steht erst 2008 an. Weitere Perifosine und Ozarelix Ergebnisse sind auch erst Mitte 2006 zu erwarten.

Zu Kursen unter 5 US$ ist AEZS im Biotech-Sektor die Value-Aktie schlechthin!

Grüße Cristrader

[cristrader]

November 15, 2005

Æterna Zentaris to Hold Investor and Analyst Day on November 21, 2005 in Toronto

The meeting will be held at The Fairmont Royal York Hotel and will start at 1:30 p.m. ET

Québec City, Canada, November 15, 2005 - Æterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ; NASDAQ: AEZS) today announced it will host an Investor and Analyst Day on Monday, November 21, 2005, from 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, at The Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. The event will include presentations from the Company management, who will provide a corporate overview and an update on its broad product portfolio focused on oncology and endocrinology. In addition, several leading internal and external physician experts have been invited to speak about the opportunities for products currently under development, with a particular emphasis on cetrorelix, ozarelix (D-63153) and perifosine.


Grüße cristrader

[KnigRollo]

hi cristrader !!

welche konkurrenzprodukte gibt es in der indikation endometriose noch. ist Cetrorelix überlegen ?. und noch was: in welcher phase befindet sich cetrorelix

Danke dir,

knigrollo

[cristrader]

@KnigRollo

Bisher gibt es keine befriedigende Behandlungsmöglichkeiten für Endometriosis. Das Gesamtmarktpotential ist ca. 900 Mio US $.

Cetrorelix wird von AEZS bereits in der Indikation Invitro-Fertilisation vermarktet. Partner in dieser Indikation ist Serono die jährlich festgeschriebene 16 Mio US$ an Revenues überweisen.

Cetrorelix Partner in der Indikation Endometriosis ist das Pharmaunternehmen Solvay. Cetrorelix Endometriosis befindet sich in Phase III . Die Kosten werden komplett von Solvay getragen. Mit der Zulassung ist frühestens 2008 zu rechnen.

Pipeline:
http://www.aeternazentaris.com/pdfdyn/Product_Pipeline_eng.p…

Präsentation:
http://www.aeternazentaris.com/pdfdyn/Presentation_%20Aetern…

Fact Sheet:
http://www.aeternazentaris.com/pdfdyn/Fact_Sheet_eng.pdf


Grüße cristrader

[cristrader]

Endometriosis:
Konkurrenzsituation:
http://www.aeternazentaris.com/pdfdyn/wall%20street.pdf

Grüße cristrader!

[cristrader]

AEterna Zentaris Announces Completion of Patient Enrollment for Ozarelix (D-63153) Phase II Trial in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Monday November 21, 7:35 am ET
- Enrollment completed four months ahead of schedule
- Results expected in 2H 2006


QUEBEC CITY, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - AEterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ - News; NASDAQ: AEZS - News) today announced it has completed enrollment of 144 patients for a Phase II trial with ozarelix (D-63153) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), more than four months ahead of schedule. The randomized, placebo- controlled multi-center clinical trial is designed to evaluate both objective parameters, such as improvement in urine flow and shrinkage of the prostate volume, as well as various symptoms of BPH over a period of several months. The trial is being conducted in Europe with the collaboration of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: SPPI - News) and results are expected to be disclosed during the second half of 2006.

"We are pleased to have already achieved full patient enrollment for this Phase II trial in BPH which only started last April", stated Dr. Jurgen Engel, Executive Vice President, Global R&D and Chief Operating Officer at AEterna Zentaris. "In August of this year, we had previously announced the completion of patient enrollment for a current Phase II trial with ozarelix in prostate cancer, again, a full four months in advance. These milestones reflect the quality of our partnership with Spectrum Pharmaceuticals for the development of ozarelix in both indications."

Gilles Gagnon, AEterna Zentaris President and Chief Executive Officer added, "The swift patient enrollment in both prostate cancer and BPH trials reinforce the confidence of our investigators in the potential benefit of ozarelix, the second lead product in our Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone antagonist therapeutic approach. It also emphasizes our commitment to advance products through the pipeline as quickly as possible for the benefit of patients in need of innovative and efficient therapies that can improve their quality of life."

Benign prostatic hyperplasia has marked adverse symptoms such as increased frequency of urination and difficulty in passing urine. Because ozarelix is expected to have dual effects, by first directly shrinking the prostate and second, through controlled reduction in the amount of testosterone (testosterone fuels the prostate gland), it is hoped that a single injection of ozarelix, repeated every few months, may be able to reduce the size of the prostate as well as accompanying symptoms.

About Ozarelix (D-63153) and Development Alliance with Spectrum

Pharmaceuticals

Ozarelix is a fourth generation LHRH (Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone) antagonist administered as a depot formulation for the treatment of hormone-dependent prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

In August 2004, AEterna Zentaris granted Spectrum Pharmaceuticals an exclusive license to develop and market ozarelix for all potential indications in North America (including Canada and Mexico) and India. AEterna Zentaris retains exclusive rights to the rest of the world and will share with Spectrum upfront and milestone payments, royalties or profits from potential sales in Japan.

About Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate frequently occurring in men over the age of 50. The enlargement can result in the gradual squeezing of the urethra, resulting in increased frequency or difficulty in urinating. Enlargement of the prostate is controlled by testosterone. According to the National Institutes of Health, BPH affects more than 50% of men over the age of 60 and as many as 90% of men over the age of 70. Treatment options for BPH include surgery and medications to reduce the amount of tissue and increase the flow of urine. Current treatment options are inconvenient, leading to ineffective compliance and are only effective in roughly half of the patients treated.

About AEterna Zentaris Inc.

AEterna Zentaris Inc. is a growing global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and marketing of therapies for cancer and endocrine disorders.

AEterna Zentaris also owns 50.03% of Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. (TSX: ATB.sv - News), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of science-based products for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and nutritional industries.



Grüße cristrader

[cristrader]

AEterna Zentaris appoints a Board Vice Chairman, a New Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee, Two New Scientific Advisory Board Members and an IR Director
Monday November 21, 7:36 am ET


QUEBEC CITY, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - AEterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ - News; Nasdaq: AEZS - News) today announced the appointment of Jurgen Ernst, former worldwide General Manager, Pharmaceutical Sector of Solvay S.A. as Vice Chairman of the Board. Mr. Ernst had joined AEterna Zentaris` Board last February. In addition, Pierre MacDonald, Chairman, Eurocopter Canada Ltd. and a current five-year member of AEterna Zentaris` Board, will also act as new Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee.
ADVERTISEMENT


"As former worldwide General Manager, Pharmaceutical Sector of Solvay, Mr. Ernst has solid international expertise in strategic planning, corporate development, product development and marketing. Mr. MacDonald`s keen sense of business and managerial skills have enabled him to hold senior executive functions at some of Canada`s largest corporations. Both of them will no doubt contribute greatly in building value for our Company and its shareholders," commented Dr. Eric Dupont, AEterna Zentaris Chairman.

The Company also announced the appointment of Dr. Daniel Douglas Von Hoff, Director of Translational Drug Development Division, Translational Genomics Institute (TGen) in Scottsdale, Arizona, to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). In June 2004, Dr. Von Hoff was appointed to President George Bush`s National Cancer Advisory Board. Dr. Ulf Rapp, Professor of Molecular Cell Biology, Director of the Institute of Medical Radiation and Cell Research at Wurzburg University in Germany and Chairman of the German Cancer Society, was also appointed to AEterna Zentaris` SAB.

"We are very proud to welcome such eminent scientists to our Scientific Advisory Board," stated Dr. Jurgen Engel, Executive Vice President, Global R&D and Chief Operating Officer at AEterna Zentaris. "Their extensive knowledge and experience in cancer therapy along with the expertise of our other Scientific Advisory Board members will be very valuable in enhancing our oncology clinical programs."

Finally, the Company announced the appointment of Jenene Thomas as Director, Investor Relations. "Our Investor Relations strategy involves gaining greater visibility for our Company on the financial markets in the United States," underlined Gilles Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer at AEterna Zentaris. "We are, therefore, convinced that having an experienced person such as Ms. Thomas on a permanent basis in New York, will help us achieve this goal."

Jurgen Ernst

Mr. Ernst, a seasoned executive, has recently retired from his position as worldwide General Manager, Pharmaceutical Sector of Solvay S.A. For more than 20 years, he held different executive positions at Solvay including Senior Vice President of the Pharmaceutical Division, President of the Human Health Division, before becoming General Manager of that same Division. Mr. Ernst brings to AEterna Zentaris more than 20 years of pharmaceutical industry expertise mainly in the field of corporate development and pharmaceutical product marketing.

Daniel Douglas Von Hoff, MD, F.A.C.P.

Dr. Von Hoff is currently Director of Translational Drug Development Division, Translational Genomics Institute (TGen) in Scottsdale, Arizona. In June 2004, he was appointed to President George Bush`s National Cancer Advisory Board. A graduate of Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (New York), Dr. Von Hoff is an internationally recognized expert in the field of oncology, providing guidance to industry and academic institutions. In the area of clinical drug development, he was involved in the early development of many of the agents now used routinely, including: Paclitaxel, Docetaxel, Gemcitabine, CPT-11, Iressa and Tarceva. Dr. Von Hoff has served in the past as the President of the American Association for Cancer Research from 1999 to 2000. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member and past Board Member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He has published over 500 papers, as well as over 850 abstracts.

Ulf Rapp, MD

Dr. Rapp is Professor of Molecular Cell Biology, as well as Director of the Institute of Medical Radiation and Cell Research at Wurzburg University in Germany. A pioneer of signal transduction in oncology, he identified Raf which, among others, is a target for perifosine, AEterna Zentaris` lead anti- cancer product. He is also the leader of a current tumor vaccine project for AEterna Zentaris.

He worked at various research laboratories including twenty years at the National Cancer Institute in the United States before joining the Institute of Medical Radiation and Cell Research of Wurzburg University in 1993.

A graduate of the Medical School at the University of Freiburg in Germany, Dr. Rapp has been the recipient of many awards in the scientific community including the 1998 Max Planck International Research Award, the 2001 Cancer Prize of the German Cancer Society, the 2002 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Award and 2003 Honorary member of the Japanese Biochemical Society.

Jenene Thomas

Ms. Thomas has developed a solid expertise in building and implementing successful Investor Relations and Communications programs in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. She has played a key role in enhancing the profile, visibility and credibility of several U.S.-based companies, namely Pharmacia Corporation, where she was an integral member of the Investor Relations team which received many awards from organizations such as the Holmes Report Sabre Awards, the International Public Relations Awards and PR Week Magazine.

Grüße cristrader

[cristrader]

Hallo, wünsche allen ein frohes und erfolgreiches Neues Jahr!

Nach einem ziemlich enttäuschenden Jahr 2005 scheint sich AEZS nun wieder auf dem richtigen Weg zu befinden. Vor allem die Beteiligung Atrium Biotechnologies mausert sich immer mehr!


ATRIUM ACQUIRES DOUGLAS LABORATORIES AND BECOMES THE
LEADER IN THE U.S. NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS MARKET FOR
HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise mentioned
Quebec (Canada), December 8, 2005 – Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. ("Atrium" or "the
Company," TSX: ATB.sv) is pleased to announce the acquisition, effective today, of Pittsburghbased
HVL Inc. (“Douglas”) whose main brand is Douglas Laboratories. Douglas has been
marketing health and nutritional products through healthcare practitioners for over 50 years and
has current annual revenues of approximately $80 million. By acquiring Douglas, Atrium now
positions itself as the leader in this industry throughout the United States. The transaction is
immediately accretive, enabling Atrium to increase its adjusted earnings before interest, income
taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) from approximately $31 million to about $48
million on a pro forma basis and therefore also increasing earnings per share of the Company
by more than 50%, before synergies. Following the transaction, Atrium’s pro forma revenues will
exceed $315 million.
“This strategic acquisition allows Atrium to become the leader in the United States and in North
America in the nutritional supplements market for healthcare professionals. Moreover, this
acquisition marks a major step in our Company’s growth strategy aimed at positioning each of
our two divisions as worldwide leaders,” stated Luc Dupont, Atrium`s President and Chief
Executive Officer.
Under the agreement, Atrium will acquire Douglas for the total amount of $107 million
($US92 million), representing approximately 6.4 times the adjusted EBITDA generated by
Douglas. Approximately $97 million will be paid in cash while the remainder, approximately $10
million, will be paid in Atrium subordinate voting shares issued to certain Douglas management
shareholders at a price of $10.95 per share. The cash portion will come from cash on hand and
the newly renegotiated credit facility that can be increased to $200 million, under certain
conditions.
“As with all our previous acquisitions, the acquisition of Douglas generates immediate and
significant added-value for our shareholders. As of September 30, 2005, on a pro forma basis,
not only will revenues increase from $230 million to $315 million, but EBITDA will also grow by
more than 50% to about $48 million. Also, diluted earnings per share will increase by 55% to
2
$0.86 on a pro forma basis. If we include the impact of the tax asset monetization program
implemented this past September, pro forma diluted net earnings per share will further increase
to $0.97. Taking into account the profitability of operations, pro forma cash flows will increase to
more than $37 million per annum from the current $22 million,” underlined John Dempsey, Vice-
President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Atrium.
A strategic acquisition
In the United States, Douglas manufactures some 960 high-quality products marketed to
approximately 10,000 healthcare professionals. Recognized across the industry for its quality
and innovation, Douglas is experiencing rapid growth and delivers excellent profit margins, as
does Atrium. The addition of Douglas’ activities to those of Pure Encapsulations’, Atrium’s
Boston-based subsidiary, provides the Company with remarkable growth opportunities
considering the complementarities of the production technologies as well as of the American
and international commercial networks.
“The evaluation of this acquisition was carried out over several quarters which allowed us to
establish a detailed integration plan. We foresee a progressive integration which should allow us
to reinforce our organic growth, taking into account namely the personnel in place, similarities
between corporate cultures and the linking of business objectives. This acquisition allows us to
attain a critical mass which positions us among the most important companies focused
essentially on the fast growing market addressing the baby boomers’ health and personal care
needs,” added Luc Dupont, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atrium.
“Clearly, Douglas is an excellent complement to our existing activities. Two common traits that
both Douglas and Pure Encapsulations share are the very high quality of products and the
reputation of the respective organizations. Pure Encapsulations, which does not have sales
representatives, mainly targets healthcare professionals through a detailed Reference Guide
and educational pamphlets, while on the other hand, Douglas relies on a solid team of sales
representatives covering the entire United States. The complementary sales approach results in
a customer base with minimal overlap. Together, our two subsidiaries allow us to reach more
than 40,000 healthcare professionals across the United States and reinforce our position at the
international level. In order to increase our market share, we intend to maintain the autonomy of
both entities regarding product development and marketing systems. Hence, synergies will
occur by optimizing research and development activities and by having more efficient
operations,” stated Richard Bordeleau, President of Atrium’s Healthcare & Nutrition Division.
In addition, Atrium will be able to benefit from the expertise and support of Douglas’ current
executives, who will become shareholders of Atrium and will stay on to ensure the successful
integration of this subsidiary and sustain its growth. Their vast operational and marketing
expertise, as well as their excellent knowledge of the United States market will be a valuable
asset to the Company.
“Our company has been family operated for more than 50 years and we are convinced that the
Douglas brand name will continue to prosper under Atrium’s leadership. Atrium and Douglas are
both driven by a solid entrepreneurial culture based on innovation and the marketing of highquality
products. We are very optimistic about the future especially with the synergies created
by combining our companies,” concluded Doug Lioon, Chief Executive Officer at HVL Inc.
3
Conference call on the acquisition
Atrium will hold a conference call and webcast that will include a slide presentation to discuss
the Douglas acquisition today at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time. Participants may access the call by
using the following numbers: 416-640-4127, 514-807-8791 or 800-814-4859. The live webcast
including the slide presentation is also available via the Company’s website at
www.atrium-bio.com in the "Investors" section. A replay of the webcast will also be available on
our website for a period of 30 days.
About Atrium
Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of sciencebased
products for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and nutrition industries. Atrium
focuses primarily on growing segments of the health and personal care markets which are
benefiting from the trends towards healthy living and the ageing of the population. Atrium
markets a broad portfolio of active ingredients, specialty chemicals and health and nutrition
finished products through its highly specialized sales and marketing network in more than 35
countries, primarily in North America, Europe and Asia. Additional information about Atrium is
available on its Web site at www.atrium-bio.com.
About HVL / Douglas
Founded in 1955, Douglas directly markets some 960 products to approximately
10,000 healthcare practitioners, such as physicians, chiropractors, naturopaths, nutritionists and
osteopaths. The company also sells supplements via distributors that work with health
professionals. Douglas, which has approximately 250 employees, markets its products under
various well-known brand names, including Douglas Laboratories, Advanced Medical Nutrition
Incorporated (AMNI), Health Yourself and Intelligent Health. In addition to manufacturing and
marketing its own exclusive brand name supplements, which make up the majority of its
business, Douglas also designs and manufactures products for others in the industry. It has a
150,000 square-foot plant in Pittsburgh regrouping production facilities, warehouse facilities,
laboratories and its head office.


Fact Sheet zur Übernahme:
http://www.atrium-bio.ca/news/DouglasFactS.pdf

Präsentation zur Übernahme:
http://www.atrium-bio.ca/docs-secure/pptatrium.pdf




Vor kurzem deutete AEZS Präsident und CEO Gagnon erstmals an die Atrium Beteiligung möglicherweise zu verkaufen. Die Zunahme des Cash-Bestandes um 150-200 Mio US $ würde sich sicherlich positiv auf den Kurs auswirken!


Grüße cristrader

[BrauchGeld]

Hallo

Auch von mir ein Glückliches und Erfolgreiches neues Jahr!

In Dezember fanden ungewöhnlich viele Insiderkäufe statt:

AEterna Zentaris (AEterna Zentaris Inc.) As of December 29th, 2005
Filing Date Transaction Date Insider Name Nature of transaction Securities # or value acquired or disposed of Unit Price
Dec 28/05 Dec 21/05 Fonds de solidarité FTQ 10 - Acquisition in the public market Common Shares 220,000 $5.793
Dec 22/05 Dec 19/05 Fonds de solidarité FTQ 10 - Acquisition in the public market Common Shares 130,300 $5.751
Dec 20/05 Dec 20/05 Turpin, Dennis 10 - Acquisition in the public market Common Shares 1,400 $5.800
Dec 20/05 Dec 20/05 Turpin, Dennis 10 - Acquisition in the public market Common Shares 600 $5.780
Dec 20/05 Dec 13/05 Seeber, Matthias 50 - Grant of options Options 40,000 $5.550
Dec 20/05 Dec 13/05 Paradis, Mario 50 - Grant of options Options 40,000 $5.550
Dec 19/05 Dec 13/05 Limoges, Gérard A. 50 - Grant of options Options 15,000 $5.550
Dec 16/05 Dec 13/05 MacDonald, Pierre 50 - Grant of options Options 15,000 $5.550
Dec 16/05 Dec 13/05 Laurin, Pierre 50 - Grant of options Options 15,000 $5.550
Dec 16/05 Dec 13/05 Ernst, Jürgen 50 - Grant of options Options 15,000 $5.550

[cristrader]

News!

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Commences Phase II, Multi-Center Study of KRX-0401 for the Treatment of Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Tuesday January 3, 8:15 am ET
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to Lead Study
Additional Single Agent and Combination Trials in Hematological Tumors to Follow


NEW YORK, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: KERX - News) announced today the initiation of a corporate-sponsored clinical program to evaluate KRX-0401 (perifosine) as a treatment for multiple myeloma. This follows positive pre-clinical data presented last month at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) where perifosine was shown to be active against human multiple myeloma cell lines and freshly isolated plasma cells from multiple myeloma patients` bone marrow, including those cells which were resistant to dexamethasone and doxorubicin. Perifosine was shown to modulate a number of key cellular functions involved in the replication and death of multiple myeloma cells, and, as in other cell lines, it was shown to be a potent Akt inhibitor. Perifosine was active in vitro and in vivo when used alone, and it appeared to be synergistic when combined with either bortezomib (Velcade®) or dexamethasone.


The clinical trial initiated today is entitled "An Open-Label Phase II Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Perifosine [KRX-0401] Alone and in Combination with Dexamethasone for Patients with Relapsed or Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma". This is a multi-center study led by Dr. Paul Richardson, Clinical Director of the Jerome Lipper Myeloma Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, MA.

In this Phase II study, patients with relapsed or relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma will be treated with KRX-0401 (150 mg oral daily dose) to assess the single agent activity of KRX-0401 in this patient population. If a patient progresses on KRX-0401 alone, dexamethasone (20mg twice weekly) will be added to their KRX-0401 regimen. This study is similar in design to the Velcade® pivotal Phase II program, the SUMMIT study, for which Paul Richardson also served as Principal Investigator.

Dr. Richardson stated, "KRX-0401 is a novel compound with a unique mechanism of action that has demonstrated compelling activity in what we believe are highly predictive multiple myeloma preclinical models. We are eager to explore its potential in treating and hopefully benefiting our patients with relapsed or relapsed/refractory myeloma."

Nancy Sumberaz, President, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, remarked, "The advancement of perifosine into Phase II clinical trials is an encouraging step forward for multiple myeloma patients. Having helped fund early studies of perifosine through our research grants program, we are extremely proud to have played an important role in the development of this potential new treatment for multiple myeloma."

Craig Henderson, MD, President of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, commented, "We are very excited about the KRX-0401 preclinical results in multiple myeloma, and are pleased to see top institutions in the field coming together with leadership from Dr. Ken Anderson and his group at the Farber to conduct this important clinical program." Dr. Henderson added, "We believe that KRX-0401 may be very effective in hematological malignancies because they are initially very sensitive to standard cytotoxic drugs but eventually become resistant because abnormalities develop in signal transduction pathways that are affected by KRX-0401, especially the Akt pathway."

Michael S. Weiss, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Keryx, added, "I am extremely pleased with the rapid translation of preclinical information into human clinical trials. It demonstrates what can be accomplished when industry, academia and advocacy groups work together to move drugs forward. With DFCI`s track record of having preclinical models predict active agents in multiple myeloma, we are hopeful and optimistic that KRX-0401 can make a positive contribution to the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma."

Another Keryx-sponsored multiple myeloma clinical study to be launched in the first half of 2006 will be a DFCI -led phase I/II study evaluating the safety and efficacy of KRX-0401 and bortezomib (Velcade®) therapy with or without dexamethasone for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma previously treated with bortezomib (Velcade®).

KRX-0401 (perifosine) is in-licensed by Keryx from Aeterna Zentaris, Inc. (TSX: AEZ - News; Nasdaq: AEZS - News), in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

About KRX-0401 (Perifosine)

KRX-0401 is a novel, first-in-class, oral anticancer agent that modulates AKT and a number of other key signal transduction pathways, including the MAPK and JNK pathways. Perifosine has shown single agent partial responses or long term disease stablizations in solid tumors including sarcoma and prostate cancer.

KRX-0401, or perifosine, is the prototype of a new group of anti-cancer drugs referred to as alkylphosphocholines that block proliferation and induce the apoptosis of cancer cells. This effect is relatively specific for cancer cells compared to normal cells. The mechanism of action for these drugs is not clear. They are known to modulate signaling in a number of pathways known to function abnormally during the development of cancer. One of the pathways inhibited by the alkylphosphocholines is Akt, a pathway associated with tumor survival and growth. Akt is considered to be one of the most important cancer targets being researched today.

ABOUT KERYX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. is focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of novel pharmaceutical products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Keryx`s lead compound under development is KRX-101 (sulodexide), a first-in-class, oral heparinoid compound for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy, a life- threatening kidney disease caused by diabetes. KRX-101 is in a pivotal Phase 3 and Phase 4 clinical program under a Special Protocol Assessment with the Food & Drug Administration. Additionally, Keryx is developing clinical-stage oncology compounds, including KRX-0401, a novel, first-in-class, oral modulator of Akt, a pathway associated with tumor survival and growth, and other important signal transduction pathways. KRX-0401 is currently in Phase 2 clinical development for multiple tumor types. Keryx also has an active in- licensing and acquisition program designed to identify and acquire additional drug candidates. Keryx is headquartered in New York City.

Cautionary Statement

Some of the statements included in this press release, particularly those anticipating future the financial performance and clinical and business prospects for KRX-0401, may be forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Among the factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially are the following: our ability to successfully complete the Phase 2 clinical trials for KRX-0401; we may not be able to meet anticipated development timelines for KRX-0401 due to recruitment, clinical trial results, manufacturing capabilities or other factors; and other risk factors identified from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commissions. Any forward-looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. This press release and prior releases are available at http://www.keryx.com. The information in our website is not incorporated by reference into this press release and is included as an inactive textual reference only.




Grüße cristrader

[KnigRollo]

bei aussichtsreichen krebsmedikamenten gibt es doch die möglichkeit sie auch aus einer phase II heraus zuzulassen, oder. Wann könnte Perifosine auf den markt kommen ?

[cristrader]

Hallo KnigRollo

Ich persönlich sehe Perifosine nicht als wichtigen Einstiegsgrund in AEZS. Die bisherigen bekannten Phase II-Ergebnisse waren noch nicht der große Hammer.
http://www.aeternazentaris.com/en/page.php?p=60&q=136

Von zahlreichen für Anfang 2005 !!! angekündigten Phase II-Ergebnissen haben wir immer noch nichts gehört.

Das Potential von Perifosine sehe ich vor allen Dingen in Kombinationstherapien mit Radiotherapie und Chemotherapie nicht und nicht als Monotherapie. Mit einer Zulassung von Perifosine ist frühestens 2009 zu rechnen.




Aeterna ist fundamental gesehen sicherlich das aussichtsreichste Biotech der gesamten Branche.

Börsenwert: ca. 250 Mio US $

-Cash: ca. 55 Mio US $
-Working Capital: ca. 56 Mio US $
-Verbindlichkeiten: ca. 22 Mio US $

-Der 48,48% Anteil an Atrium Biotechnologies hat einen aktuellen Börsenwert von 159 Mio US $.

-AEZS hat durch Medikamentenverkäufe Cetrotide/Impavido garantierte 20 Mio US $ Einnahmen im Jahr

-Cashflow positiv

-hat mit Cetrorelix ein Phase III Medikament mit Blockbusterpotential und äußerst geringen Risikopotential( Partner Solvay trägt alle Kosten/ 2-stellige Revenues)

-umfangreiche Pipeline in allen Entwicklungsstadien

Der Gesamtkonzern ist schon recht beeindruckend:





Ein besseres Valueinvestment mit Vervielfachungspotential wird kaum zu finden sein. Die Frage ist nur wann wird diese Chance vom Markt entdeckt?


Grüße cristrader

[KnigRollo]

cristrader - ich danke dir für die super ausführliche antwort.

Dachte nur an Perifosine, da dieses Medikament für BB Biotech der Grund war bei Keryx einzusteigen ?! Komisch oder ...

rollo

[KnigRollo]

noch was..cristrader

kennst du dich aus mit dem Vergleich Satraplatin (GPC) und Perifosine oder sind die beiden überhaupt nicht zu vergleichen... Beide gehen doch hauptsächlich gegen prostatakrebs..?

Rollo

[cristrader]

@KnipRollo

Es gibt zwar Überschneidungen in den zu behandelnden Indikationen insbesondere in Kombination mit Radiotherapie, allerdings direkt miteinander zu vergleichen sind Perifosine und Satraplatin bis auf die orale Verabreichungsform nicht. Beide Kandidaten gehen gegen eine Vielzahl von Indikationen vor nicht nur gegen Prostatakrebs.
Satraplatin gehört zu der in der Krebstherapie etablierten platin-basierenden Medikamenten. Perifosine dagegen ist ein AKT-Inhibitor mit völlig neuem Wirkmechanismus. Satraplatin hat es daher erheblich leichter Marktanteile zu gewinnen. Satraplatin ist meiner Ansicht nach das bei weitem vielversprechendere Medikament, zudem mindestens drei Jahre früher auf dem Markt.

Genaue Infos zu Perifosine findest du hier:
http://www.aeternazentaris.com/pdfdyn/Perifosine-December-20…

Grüße cristrader

[KnigRollo]

verstehe ich dich richtig: Hauptgrund für ein Engagement sollte die Indikation Endemetriose des anderen Wirkstoffkandidaten sein ?

Hast du Perifosine gerade schlecht geredet ??
beste grüße
rollo

[cristrader]

@Knigrollo

Du hast richtig verstanden!

Die wichtigsten Gründe für ein Investment sind die Fundamentaldaten un natürlich absolut Cetrorelix Endometriosis und BPH. Die Phase II-Daten waren derart überragend das eine Zulassung ca. 2008 als ziemlich sicher anzusehen ist, zumal ein Scheitern wegen Nebenwirkungen auszuschließen ist!

Die ganzen Phase II-Ergebnisse für Perifosine waren bereits für Ende 2004 angekündigt.
Die ganzen Verzögerungen sowie auch die bisherigen Phase II-Ergebnisse in der Indikation Prostatakrebs lassen mich am Erfolg von Perifosine zweifeln. AEZS und Keryx müssen erstmal wirklich überzeugende Phase II-Daten liefern bevor das Potential von Perifosine genau einzuschätzen ist.

Auch ohne Perifosine sollte AEZS zweistellig notieren!

Grüße cristrader

[KnigRollo]

wie immer kompetent...

danke

rollo

[therman]

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060130/mo225.html?.v=5

AEterna Zentaris Regains Exclusive Worldwide (ex-Japan) Rights for Cetrorelix in Benign Prostate Hyperplasia
Monday January 30, 6:00 am ET


QUEBEC CITY, Canada, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - AEterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ - News; Nasdaq: AEZS - News) today announced that it reached an agreement with its partner Solvay Pharmaceuticals (Solvay) (Euronext: SOLB), whereby AEterna Zentaris regains exclusive worldwide (ex-Japan) rights on its lead Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone (LHRH) antagonist product candidate, cetrorelix for the benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) indication, without any financial compensation payable to Solvay. Given its extensive presence and expertise in women`s health, Solvay will pursue its current pivotal clinical program with cetrorelix in endometriosis, while AEterna Zentaris intends to pursue the late-stage clinical development of cetrorelix in BPH.

[cristrader]

Hallo!

AEterna Zentaris: Update on U.S. NCI sponsored Phase III trial with Neovastat in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 17, 2006 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- AEterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ; Nasdaq: AEZS) today announced that following a Data and Safety Monitoring Board recommendation, based solely on a slow patient recruitment rate, the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) has decided to interrupt patient recruitment for the ongoing Phase III trial in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with Neovastat, while awaiting for an interim efficacy data analysis planned at 320 events. Meanwhile, this NCI sponsored trial continues as planned and patients will be maintained on the current therapy regime.
"We agree with the NCI`s decision given the fact that we have reached a sufficient number of enrolled patients enabling the conduct of a planned interim efficacy data analysis, and we remain committed to supplying Neovastat to patients currently taking part in the trial. Results from this analysis will enable us to determine the future development of Neovastat", said Gilles Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer at AEterna Zentaris.

About Neovastat and the NCI Phase III trial in NSCLC

Neovastat, an orally-bioavailable antiangiogenic product is currently in a Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of NSCLC in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Sponsored by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI), this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involves patients with inoperable Stage IIIA and IIIB NSCLC. The study`s objective is to evaluate the efficacy of Neovastat and determine if the drug will increase median patient survival time by 25%. This trial was initiated in 2000 and to date, 380 patients have been recruited. An interim efficacy analysis to be performed at 320 events has been planned in agreement with the U.S. NCI. As of today, the number of events stands at 260.

About AEterna Zentaris Inc.

AEterna Zentaris Inc. is a growing global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and marketing of therapies for cancer and endocrine disorders.

AEterna Zentaris also owns 48.4% of the equity of Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. (TSX: ATB.sv) and 64.8% of its voting rights. Atrium is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of science-based products for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and nutritional industries.


Diese News ist sicherlich nicht kursrelevant, da längst scheitern eingepreist.


Grüße cristrader

[cristrader]

Atrium Continues its Growth with 47% Increase in Revenues and 42% Increase in Net Earnings for Fiscal 2005
Tuesday February 28, 6:00 am ET
All amounts are in U.S. dollars


QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Atrium Biotechnologies Inc.
(TSX: ATB.sv - News) today announced that it had revenues of US$201 million for the year ended December 31, 2005, up 47% from US$136 million for the corresponding previous fiscal year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for fiscal 2005 were US$25.2 million, up 21% from US$20.8 million for the same period last year. Net earnings increased 42% to US$14.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2005, compared to US$10.1 million for the same period last year.

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"Fiscal 2005 was a very eventful year for Atrium with the acquisitions of MultiChem and Douglas Laboratories as well as the initial public offering in April 2005. Not only do we have excellent financial results, but we also have delivered our 2005 business plan which was to establish the Active Ingredients & Speciality Chemical Division in North America, to achieve the leadership position in the nutritional supplements market for healthcare professionals in North America and to access new sources of capital. We now have the financial capacity and strategic assets to grow Atrium to the next level in our high growth niche markets," said Luc Dupont, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atrium.

Earnings per share were US$0.51 per share for 2005 compared to US$0.44 per share for the same period last year. The significant increase in net earnings allowed the Company to increase earnings per share even though the weighted average number of shares outstanding increased to 27.8 million during fiscal 2005 compared to 22.8 million during fiscal 2004. The increase in shares outstanding is mainly due to the issuance of shares for the initial public offering completed on April 6, 2005, the issuance of shares related to the Douglas Laboratories acquisition and the acquisition of the minority interest in its subsidiary Unipex.

Cash flows from operations (before changes in non-cash working capital items) for the year 2005 were US$18.9 million, up 35% from US$14.0 million for the same period last year. On November 8, 2005, the Company modified its existing US$65 million revolving credit facility to increase the authorized amount to US$108 million with the flexibility to increase it up to US$172 million. As of December 31, 2005, US$94 million was drawn under the existing facility.

"Our increased cash flow generating capacity resulting from the recent acquisition of Douglas Laboratories along with our new credit facility, will allow the Company to continue its acquisition strategy in each of our divisions," added John Dempsey, Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer.

Active Ingredients & Specialty Chemicals Division

Revenues from the Active Ingredients & Specialty Chemicals Division were US$168.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2005, representing an increase of 50.8% over revenues of US$111.4 million for the same period in 2004. EBITDA was US$13.3 million (or 7.9% of revenues) for the year ended December 31, 2005, representing an increase of 18.2% over 2004 EBITDA of US$11.2 million (or 10.1% of revenues). This increase is attributable essentially to newly-acquired MultiChem.

"The integration of MultiChem is proceeding according to our plan. We are now ready to implement our consolidation plan and proceed with acquisitions in order to be among the leaders in Canada just as we did in France with Unipex. We are now in a great position both in Europe and North America to continue unrolling our strategy to generate growth and become a global player in our segments," added Charles Boulanger, President - Active Ingredients & Specialty Chemicals.

Health & Nutrition Division

Revenues from the Health & Nutrition Division were US$32.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2005, representing an increase of 32.3% over revenues of US$24.8 million for the same period last year. EBITDA was US$11.9 million (or 36.4% of revenues) for the year ended December 31, 2005 representing an increase of 24.5% over the same period last year where the EBITDA was US$9.6 million (or 38.6% of revenues). Most of this increase came from the acquisitions of Pure Encapsulations in March 2004 and Douglas Laboratories in December 2005.

"The acquisition of Douglas Laboratories permits us to achieve a leadership position in the United States and North America. Together with Pure Encapsulations, we now have two strong brands recognized for their outstanding quality and efficacy. Douglas celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005 while Pure enjoys close to 15 years of continuous growth. Today, with over 1,300 high quality products in our portfolio, access to more than 40,000 healthcare professionals and a strong team with seasoned management, we are well positioned to grow our market share and penetrate new markets through organic growth and acquisitions," said Richard Bordeleau, President - Health & Nutrition Division.

2005 Fourth Quarter Financial Results

For the three-month period ended December 31, 2005, revenues were US$58.4 million compared to US$35.5 million in 2004, representing a 65% increase. EBITDA increased 12% to US$5.8 million, compared to US$5.2 million for the same period in 2004. Net earnings for the fourth quarter 2005 increased 78% to US$4.0 million or US$0.14 per share, compared to US$2.3 million or US$0.10 per share for the same period in 2004. The weighted average number of shares outstanding was 29.4 million during the period compared to 23.4 million during the same period last year.

Financial Results Reported in U.S. Dollars

Effective with the fourth quarter 2005, the Company changed its reporting currency from Canadian dollars to U.S. dollars. The financial statements will more accurately reflect the Company`s true operating results and financial position since a majority of Atrium`s business is conducted in U.S. dollars.

About Atrium

Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of science-based products for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and nutrition industries. Atrium focuses primarily on growing segments of the health and personal care markets which are benefiting from the trends towards healthy living and the ageing of the population. Atrium markets a broad portfolio of active ingredients, specialty chemicals and health and nutrition finished products through its highly specialized sales and marketing network in more than 40 countries, primarily in North America, Europe and Asia. Atrium has close to 500 employees and operates three manufacturing facilities. Additional information about Atrium is available on its Web site at www.atrium-bio.com.

[cristrader]

Hallo!

Endlich wieder Leben in AEZS!

Zwei News heute und auf 52-Wochen-Hoch!


Lumiphore Inc. and Echelon Biosciences Inc. Introduce Novel Cancer Assays

Apr 04, 2006 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- REDWOOD CITY, CA and SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, April 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Lumiphore Inc. and Echelon Biosciences Inc. jointly announce the finalization of a license agreement that provides Echelon access to Lumiphore's proprietary lanthanide-complex technology for the development of TR-FRET assays and reagents for use in research and drug discovery in the field of phospholipid signaling and lipid-protein interactions.
Echelon has branded its family of assays and reagents that incorporate the proprietary Lumiphore lanthanide-complex technology as TRue-FRET(TM). Echelon has incorporated TRue-FRET dyes, which utilize Lumiphore's highly luminescent terbium (Tb3+) complexes, into its proprietary PI3-K screening reagents and assay platforms. This TR-FRET PI3-K assay is the most advanced yet offered for research and drug discovery. It is an easy-to-use mix and read (homogenous) format, provides a much brighter fluorescent endpoint, and eliminates many of the false positives seen with other formats. Phospholipid signaling and related lipid-protein interactions have become interesting targets for new drug development in diseases like cancer, diabetes, and inflammation.

"This agreement with Echelon gives us an entry into the molecular biology research and pharmaceutical screening markets with a world recognized leader. We believe Echelon is the best in their space," said Scott King, President of Lumiphore.

"This agreement brings the best of both Lumiphore's and Echelon's proprietary technologies to an exciting growth segment in human cellular disease research," said W. Tim Miller, President of Echelon Biosciences. "In particular, this will offer pharmaceutical companies a new easy-to-use format for screening large libraries of compounds in a more accurate fashion. We are excited about the potential for this new research tool for our customers and for both Echelon and Lumiphore."

About Echelon's True-FRET(TM) PI3-kinase Assay

Time Resolved - Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (TR-FRET) - Historically, high throughput screening (HTS), a method for screening thousands of compounds for those with desirable therapeutic activity, has been approached through radioactive formats. In recent years, due to cost, handling and disposal complexities, the HTS market has trended away from radioactive methods to more easy-to-use fluorescent assays. However, as many compounds and biological samples can naturally fluoresce themselves, often a high number of false positives are seen. To combat this fluorescence interference, rare-earth compounds such as terbium which display a long-lived fluorescence compared to naturally fluorescent compounds have been incorporated into fluorescent assays. This time resolved (TR) format increases the accuracy of these HTS screening methodologies.

PI3-K or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is a cellular enzyme which phosphorylates certain lipids within the cell which in turn mediate cell proliferation and survival. The activity of PI3-K is often altered in disease leading to abnormal cell growth in cancer and incorrect cellular response in inflammation. Despite their importance, the potential of these enzymes as targets for therapeutic development has yet to be fully realized, in part due to the lack of assay methods suitable for HTS. Echelon's True-FRET assay provides an advanced research tool to scientists investigating PI3-K as a therapeutic target for drug development.

Echelon will be introducing this new True-FRET PI3-kinase assay at the 97th annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Washington DC, April 2-5, 2006.

About Echelon

Echelon Biosciences Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah, is a wholly owned subsidiary of AEterna Zentaris (Nasdaq: AEZS) of Quebec City, Quebec Echelon Biosciences Inc. is a leader in the field of lipid research and lipid-protein interactions that are essential top-level regulators in numerous cell signaling cascades. Abnormal signaling cascades lead to many diseases like cancer, inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Echelon has been a top supplier of research information, lipid signaling assay and reagent technology for years. It also has an early-stage program in anti-infective development, targeting a novel pathway found in many problematic gram-negative bacteria. AEterna Zentaris Inc. is a growing global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and marketing of therapies for cancer, endocrine disorders, and infectious diseases.

About Lumiphore

Lumiphore, Inc. of Redwood City, California, is a private nanotechnology company and a leader in time resolved luminescence. Lumiphore has an exclusive license to specific lanthanide-complex technology from the University of California, Berkeley. Lumiphore's lanthanide reporters can be used for increased sensitivity in assays for biological activity including certain clinical tests. Luminescence of Lumiphore's terbium lanthanide complex outlasts luminescence of other molecules so that gated detection results in vastly improved signal-to-noise.

SOURCE AETERNA ZENTARIS INC. (FORMERLY/ANCIENNEMENT - LES LABORATOIRES AETERNA


AEterna Zentaris Discloses Preclinical Results on Various Drug Candidates at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Meeting in Washington

QUEBEC CITY, Apr 4, 2006 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- AEterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ; Nasdaq: AEZS) today announced that it presented abstracts outlining preclinical results on various novel drug candidates for multiple cancers at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, currently held in Washington, D.C.
Tubulin Inhibitors

The first poster entitled, "A New Highly Potent Cytotoxic Compound with Inhibitory Effects on Tubulin Polymerization and Topoisomerase II" (abstract No. 499), reviewed results of a preclinical trial on ZEN-012/ZEN-017. Anti-proliferative effects of the active metabolite ZEN-012 were studied in a panel of 35 established human tumor cell lines including multi-drug resistant phenotypes. Given orally once weekly, ZEN-017 proved to be a potent inhibitor of in vivo tumor growth in melanoma, mammary, colon, as well as in leukemia cancers at acceptable and very well tolerated doses (40-80 mg/kg b.w.). The novel prodrug ZEN-017 is cleaved under physiological conditions to the active component ZEN-012. Mode-of-action studies revealed that ZEN-012 effectively inhibits tubulin polymerization (IC50 equal 1490 nM) and induces apoptosis in U937 cells. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that ZEN-012 inhibits topoisomerase II activity.

"These preclinical results on ZEN-012/ZEN-017 demonstrated its capacity of inhibiting both tubulin polymerization and topoisomerase II as well as inducing apoptosis in multi-drug resistant cancer cells. These multiple mechanisms of action are what sets ZEN-012/ZEN-017 apart from other current compounds under development. ZEN-012/ZEN-017 continues to be evaluated in a series of safety pharmacology and toxicology studies and we expect to take this compound from the preclinical stage into a clinical Phase 1/2 study by year-end", underlined Dr. Jurgen Engel, Executive Vice President Global R&D and Chief Operating Officer at AEterna Zentaris.

Signal Transduction Inhibitors

The second poster entitled, "Novel Pyridopyrazine-Urea Derivatives Are Highly Selective Dual Mechanism Inhibitors of PI3K and Erk1/2" (abstract No. 3808) related preclinical results for signal transduction inhibitors in breast, colon and pancreatic cancer. In cancer, both the ras-Raf-Mek-Erk and the PI3K-Akt signalling pathways are constitutively activated through multiple mechanisms, and thus exert several key functions in tumor development and progression. The results of research to date indicate that both the MAPK and the PI3K signalling pathways represent promising therapeutic targets for the treatment of malignant tumors.

"We have been focusing efforts on single and dual inhibitors of Raf-Mek-Erk and PI3K-Akt pathways. Results disclosed showed that we now have identified a new compound class with inhibitory activity against both the Erk and PI3K pathways, therefore demonstrating their unique potential in treating malignant tumors", stated Dr. Engel.

Cytotoxic Conjugates

The third poster entitled, "Targeted therapy of gynecological tumors with cytotoxic peptide analogs" (abstract No. 3082) outlined preclinical results on cytotoxic conjugates for gynaecological cancers. Human breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer cell lines were tested for the presence of Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone (LHRH), bombesin and somatostatin receptors. Anti-tumor activity and toxicity of targeted cytotoxic analogs of LHRH (AN-207), bombesin (AN-215) and somatostatin (AN-238) were evaluated in nude mouse models of these tumors and compared with the non-targeted cytotoxic radical 2-pyrrolinodoxorubicin, a potent derivative of doxorubicin developed in collaboration with Noble Prize laureate Dr. Andrew V. Schally of the U.S. Veterans Administration in Miami. Tumor inhibition in these models ranged between 40%-68%. Authors, including Dr. Schally, concluded that targeted therapy of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer with cytotoxic peptide analogs AN-207, AN-215 and AN-238 is more effective and less toxic than non-targeted chemotherapy. Among various cytotoxic peptide analogs under development by AEterna Zentaris, the compound AN-152, a cytotoxic conjugate with an LHRH analog, is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial.

"All preclinical studies presented at the AACR meeting are part of our strategy aimed at bringing at least one preclinical compound to the clinical stage each year, as we did last year with AN-152, in gynaecological and breast cancers. They also reflect the quality of our deep and focused pipeline as we continue to develop next generation cancer treatments from early drug discovery right through to advanced-stage clinical trials", concluded Gilles Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer at AEterna Zentaris.

About AEterna Zentaris Inc.

AEterna Zentaris Inc. is a growing global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and marketing of therapies for cancer and endocrine disorders.

AEterna Zentaris also owns 48.4% of the equity of Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. (TSX: ATB.sv) and 64.8% of its voting rights. Atrium is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of science-based products for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and nutritional industries.

Canaccord INITIATING COVERAGE - BUY
With its marketed products, deep product pipeline, and involvement in specialty chemicals/nutrition through its subsidiary, AEterna Zentaris currently resembles a hybrid chemical/pharmaceutical group much like the origins of many of the world’s pharmaceutical companies.
Being a hybrid biopharmaceutical company, AEterna Zentaris offers investors the stability of its significant stake in its subsidiary, Atrium Biotechnologies, and the significant, steady revenue stream from Cetrotide, a marketed product used in in vitro fertilization, sold through its partner, Serono. This stability is combined with longer-term growth from an extensive drug development pipeline, which is focused on
endocrinology and oncology. The company manages clinical and
financial risk by partnering its product candidates in select geographies, while retaining European rights to fuel its ambitions of establishing or acquiring its own sales and marketing infrastructure in Europe.
Valuation and recommendation
We have chosen to value AEterna based on a sum-of-the-parts analysis:
value of the Cetrotide business, value of the R&D pipeline, and the value of the Atrium interest. We have set a target price of C$9.25 which equates to an implied market capitalization of approximately $490 million, and represents roughly 60% upside from current levels. We believe that AEterna Zentaris offers a compelling investment opportunity.
We are initiating coverage with a BUY recommendation and
$9.25 target price.


Grüße cristrader

[cristrader]

Hallo Leute!
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060605/mo250.html?.v=3

AEterna Zentaris Announces Positive Data of Perifosine (KRX-0401) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma at ASCO Meeting
Monday June 5, 7:15 am ET
Interim Results of a multi-center Phase 2 trial by partner Keryx Biopharmaceutical shows a 43% partial response rate


QUEBEC CITY, Canada, June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - AEterna Zentaris' (TSX: AEZ - News; NASDAQ: AEZS - News) North American partner Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KERX - News) disclosed positive data of perifosine (KRX-0401) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). These patients were a cohort of a phase 2, multi- center, trial of perifosine that included multiple tumor types. All patients in this study were to have had prior standard therapy. Although the extent of prior treatment varied with tumor type, most patients had received two chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease. An interim analysis was performed at the end of the first year of accrual, and the results in the renal group met protocol requirements for expansion of this cohort. The study is ongoing.
Thirteen patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were enrolled in the study and 7 were evaluable for response. Three of these (43%) had a partial response and an additional 2 patients (29%) achieved long-term stable disease. Two progressed. Four patients were inevaluable because they stopped treatment early (42 -62 days) and their disease was not evaluated at the time drug was stopped. Two patients have not been on study long enough to reach the first point of evaluation. Responses were scored using RECIST criteria.


<<
Response N (%) Duration (months)
Partial Response 3 (43%) 4, 4+, 9
Stable Disease 2 (29%) 8+, 11
Progression 2 (29%) 2, 3
Too Early 2
Not Evaluable 4
>>

Times with '+' meaning patient still stable or responding at time of
analysis.

Additional renal patients will be enrolled on this study, including patients with prior exposure to sorafenib and sunitinib. Keryx anticipates that phase 1 studies combining perifosine with approved agents for the treatment of renal cell cancer will be opened within 6-8 weeks. Larger and more definitive phase 2 and phase 3 trials are being developed, and it is anticipated that one or more of these will be initiated in the next 6 - 12 months.

"The Akt pathway is frequently activated in renal cell cancers. It follows that this tumor type may be particularly responsive to Akt inhibition, and we think these studies with perifosine may be providing early evidence of this", said I. Craig Henderson, M.D., President of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals. Henderson also added, "Therapy with perifosine could potentially provide an important advancement in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, a disease that affects 39,000 new patients every year in the US."

"Recent approvals of sorafenib and sunitinib provide great hope for patients with renal cell carcinoma. However, additional treatments are desperately needed, particularly agents with a different mechanism of action", stated Robert Figlin, MD, professor of medicine and urology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "This response data is preliminary but of great interest and we are anxious to further explore the potential of perifosine, a novel agent that targets Akt and other important pathways known to cause resistance in renal cell carcinoma."

Dr. Jurgen Engel, Executive Vice President, Global R&D and Chief Operating Officer at AEterna Zentaris concluded, "I believe this data is proof of perifosine's anticancer activity as a monotherapy agent in this specific indication, which may open other multiple opportunities."

About the Phase 2 Trial Design

This Keryx-sponsored, exploratory trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of two schedules of perifosine (KRX-0401) in patients with a variety of tumor types. From February 2005 to February 2006, patients at over 30 centers across the US were randomized to receive either 50 mg of perifosine once daily or 1200 mg on a weekly dose schedule. The protocol was designed to accrue 11 patients in a given tumor type and then expand that cohort to 26 patients if a favorable outcome is seen in at least 1 of the first 11 patients. The study continues to enroll patients, and no cohort defined by tumor type has been closed because of insufficient evidence of activity. The responses we have seen in this advanced renal cell carcinoma cohort did not appear dose-dependent as partial responses and stable disease were noted in both dose groups. This is consistent with prior data with perifosine where responses have been equally distributed between higher and lower dose groups.

Toxicity

The 50 mg dose has been extremely well tolerated. The main toxicities were nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. Nearly half (42%) of the patients on this dose had none of these symptoms, and 89% had no gastrointestinal toxicity above grade 1. The incidence of grade 2 or greater toxicity with the weekly dose was considerably higher, but even in this group nearly 20% experienced none of these side effects and one third no gastrointestinal toxicity above grade 1. The frequency of grade 2 or higher toxicity by study arm was:


<<
Adverse Event 50 mg Daily Arm 1200 mg Weekly Arm
N (equal sign) 90 N (equal sign) 95

Nausea 5 (6%) 30 (32%)
Vomiting 4 (5%) 19 (20%)
Diarrhea 5 (6%) 34 (36%)
Fatigue 13 (14%) 27 (28%)
>>

About Renal Cell Carcinoma
RCC represents approximately 2% to 3% of all adult cancers worldwide and 2% of all cancer-related deaths. In 2006, an estimated 39,000 new cases of RCC and 13,000 deaths attributable to RCC are expected in the US. The National Cancer Institute reports a rising incidence of RCC at a rate of approximately 2% per decade. The disease occurs predominantly in the seventh and eighth decades in life, and it affects nearly twice as many men as women.

About Perifosine (KRX-0401)

Perifosine is a novel, first-in-class, oral anticancer agent that modulates several key signal transduction pathways, including AKT, MAPK, and JNK that have been shown to be critical for the survival of cancer cells. Perifosine has demonstrated single agent anti-tumor activity in Phase I and Phase II studies and is currently being studied as a single agent and in combination with several forms of anti-cancer treatments for various forms of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer.

About AEterna Zentaris Inc.

AEterna Zentaris Inc. is a growing global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and marketing of therapies for cancer and endocrine disorders. AEterna Zentaris also owns 48.29% of the equity of Atrium Biotechnologies Inc. (TSX: ATB.sv - News) and 64.7% of its voting rights. Atrium is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of science-based products for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical and nutritional industries.

[cristrader]

AEterna Zentaris Reports Positive Results from ongoing Phase 1 Trial with AN-152 in Patients with Gynaecological and Breast Cancers
Monday June 5, 7:00 am ET
Data published at the annual ASCO meeting in Atlanta


QUEBEC CITY, Canada, June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - AEterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ - News; NASDAQ: AEZS - News) today disclosed positive Phase 1 results for its cytotoxic conjugate AN-152 in patients with gynaecological and breast cancers which showed that the compound has a good safety profile and no dose-limiting toxicities. Results were part of an abstract entitled, "Phase I study of AN- 152, a targeted cytotoxic LHRH analog, in female patients with cancers expressing LHRH receptors(x)", published at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), currently being held in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Dr. Jurgen Engel, Executive Vice President, Global R&D and Chief Operating Officer at AEterna Zentaris, stated, "The pharmacokinetic results provide proof of concept that the chemical linkage of doxorubicin and the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) part of the drug molecule is stable in human blood. This is a prerequisite for the hormone receptor- mediated, specific uptake of the cytotoxic doxorubicin molecule into the targeted tumor cells and at the same time, the minimization of undesired toxic effects to other tissues."

Gilles Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer at AEterna Zentaris added, "We are very pleased and encouraged with the Phase 1 results for AN- 152. We believe our targeted approach, using patients specifically expressing LHRH receptors, increases our chances of success in these indications. This approach is an additional example of personalized therapy which is becoming more and more the way of the future. We remain committed to aggressively advancing our pipeline and providing novel treatments to those suffering from various types of cancer."

Results

Eight patients entered the study and received AN-152 by intravenous infusion over two hours at dosages of 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, and 267 mg/m(2). Observation of a grade 2 leukocytopenia in a patient at 160 mg/m(2) led to the addition of three other patients at this dose level. Patients received at least two treatment courses, 21 days apart, and went off study with progressive disease. However, one of the three patients at the dose level of 160 mg/m(2) with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, showed stabilization of disease and received four treatment courses. Infusion of AN-152 was well tolerated at all dosages, without supportive treatment. Pharmacokinetic (PK) analyses showed dose-dependent plasma levels of AN-152 and only minor (10%- 20%) release of doxorubicin.

Conclusions

Infusion of AN-152 is well tolerated in female patients. No dose-limiting toxicities were seen up to 267 mg/m(2), which is equimolar to a doxorubicin dose of 77 mg/m(2). Recruitment at this dose level is ongoing. The cytotoxic LHRH analog is stable in human plasma, a prerequisite for receptor-mediated uptake by tumor tissue. Stabilization of disease was observed in one of eight patients in the ongoing Phase 1 study.

Background

Human breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers commonly express receptors for luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH-R). LHRH-R can be used for targeted chemotherapy with AN-152, in which doxorubicin is linked to (D- Lys(6))-LHRH. Safety pharmacology and toxicity studies in mice, rats and dogs demonstrated a significantly reduced cardiotoxic potential of AN-152 compared with doxorubicin, e.g. no QT prolongation, myocarditis or fibrosis in the appropriate models. The Phase I study assessed dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and pharmacokinetics (PK) of AN-152 given once every three weeks in patients with gynaecological and breast cancers.

(x)Author Block: G. Emons, M. Kaufmann, A. R. Gunthert, M. Hamid-Werner, C. Grundker, S. Loibl, A. V. Schally; George August University, Goettingen, Germany; J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany; V.A. Hospitals, New Orleans / Miami, LA

About Cytotoxic Conjugate AN-152

Targeted cytotoxic peptide conjugates are hybrid molecules composed of a synthetic peptide carrier and a well-known cytotoxic product. The design of these products allows for the specific binding and selective uptake of the cytotoxic conjugates by the LHRH receptor-positive tumors. The binding of cytotoxic conjugates to cancerous cells that express these receptors results in an accumulation of the antiproliferative agent in the malignant tissue. This binding is followed by internalisation and retention of the cytotoxic drug in the cells. Therefore, since they target specific cells, cytotoxic conjugates are much less toxic, have less side-effects and are more effective in vivo than the respective radicals in inhibiting tumor growth.

AN-152 is currently in a Phase I trial in breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers.


Grüße cristrader

[KnigRollo]

mensch cristrader,
interesse an aeterna verloren. Deine gegenwärtige Einschätzung ?

Ozarelix ? BPH ?

[cristrader]

Hallo KnigRollo!

Ich bin zurzeit nicht mehr in AEZS investiert von daher hat mein Interesse schon etwas nachgelassen. Ich bin zurzeit megabullisch im Hinblick auf Medicure (MCU). Mein Aktiendepot besteht mittlerweilse aus 80% MCU und 20% YMI.

AEZS ist immer noch die Nummer 1 meiner Watchlist und halte den Wert immer noch rein vom Fundamentalen her als sicherste Aktie im gesamten Biotech-Sektor. Leider ist das Management und die IR-Abteilung nicht in der Lage die krasse Unterbewertung der breiten Anlegermasse klarzumachen. Wer Geduld hat und zwei Jahre bis zur Cetrorelix Endometriosis-Zulassung wartet wird sicherlich reichlich belohnt werden. Ich werde AEZS weiterhin eng verfolgen und bei günstiger Gelegenheit sicher wieder einsteigen!

Grüße cristrader

[KnigRollo]

ah, es gibt dich noch.

80 % in mcu ? ist das nicht ein bißchen happig. ist deren pipeline wirklich so überragend, gerade in deren indikation herz - kreislauf tummeln sich doch so viele anbieter ??#

[cristrader]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 23.593.276 von KnigRollo am 24.08.06 13:34:48

KnigRollo

Mein Anlagestil ist sicher nichts für schwache Nerven! Hat mir allerdings in den letzten Jahren eine Performance gebracht die ich fast nicht für möglich gehalten habe.

Um mal klarzustellen: Die Konkurrenz im Bereich Herz-Kreislauf ist um ein Vielfaches geringer als im Bereich Krebs.

Medicure´s Leadmedikament MC-1 zielt auf einen 2-Milliarden Dollar-Markt wo es bisher "keine" Behandlungsmöglichkeit gibt. MC-1 ist in der klinischen Entwicklung am weitesten fortgeschritten und wird als erstes Medikament auf dem Markt sein. Der im Herbst bevorstehende Phase III-Start und die bevorstehende Partnerschaft mit einem Big Pharma wird in Kürze den Kurs explodieren lassen!

Ich kann dir nur raten Medicure genau anzuschauen, eine solche Chance findet man nur alle paar Jahre!

Bei Infos zu MCU bitte im Medicure-Thread posten!


Es wird sicherlich mal wieder Zeit eine genauere Analyse und Bestandsaufnahme von AEZS durchzuführen. Leider werde ich erst ab November die Zeit dazu finden.

Grüße cristrader