tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post6486831506670844812..comments2024-02-24T08:58:08.581+00:00Comments on RNAi Therapeutics: Merck’s RNA(i) Therapeutics Unit on the Chopping Block Dirk Hausseckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18320439857875629714noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post-55036753755768837772013-10-10T10:20:46.432+00:002013-10-10T10:20:46.432+00:00Fair enough. Maybe Merck or another Big Pharma sh...Fair enough. Maybe Merck or another Big Pharma should come out and detail the specific issues. Based on the clinical experience in thousands of subjects I posit that the risk:reward for a number of delivery strategies appear more than acceptable for the devastating diseases they address.<br /><br />Quite frankly, your theoretical concerns serve as a lame excuse for the lack of innovative juicesDirk Hausseckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18320439857875629714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post-56971569393609469432013-10-09T19:24:55.847+00:002013-10-09T19:24:55.847+00:00There are no easy paths to product commercializati...There are no easy paths to product commercialization for nucleic-acid drug products (siRNA, dicer, mRNA, etc.). The challenge isn't just delivery, but ensuring lack of toxicity and other side effects.<br /><br />This is the paramount challenge for the entire field, and no one is close to achieving this with synthetic delivery vehicles. They may look OK in small clinical trial with a 12 personAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post-81043715274573098752013-10-02T11:09:56.253+00:002013-10-02T11:09:56.253+00:00Last 3 posters, with due respect, suggest you go r...Last 3 posters, with due respect, suggest you go re-read the planned Merck cut-backs, and Dirk's write up. You are currently missing some key points.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post-71533759662655123482013-10-02T05:53:25.778+00:002013-10-02T05:53:25.778+00:00Is this a result of the delivery challenges or lac...Is this a result of the delivery challenges or lack of success in the RNAi therapies?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post-29114198990589319582013-10-01T21:42:51.228+00:002013-10-01T21:42:51.228+00:00It seems Novartis may also follow Merck and exit f...It seems Novartis may also follow Merck and exit from RNAi space. All the big pharmas have heard mentality so this shouldn't come as a surprise. After all Novartis was the first one to get into RNAi space and they haven't produced anything yet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post-24083574298057489732013-10-01T21:27:43.775+00:002013-10-01T21:27:43.775+00:00Merck announced a company-wide cost-cutting re-org...Merck announced a company-wide cost-cutting re-org, as part of which it aims ‘to reduce its focus on platform technologies’.<br /><br />Is this an indication it is out of interest in Benitec and its ddRNAi platform as well?<br /><br />Merck were the agents who orchestrated the failed takeover of Benitec after Pfizer took a research licence.<br /><br />Writing on the wall does not look good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post-52435197779421552372013-10-01T18:01:10.098+00:002013-10-01T18:01:10.098+00:00Martin and Steve. Yes (Steve), similar to the Roch...Martin and Steve. Yes (Steve), similar to the Roche situation, but we now know that Arrowhead, the acquirer of the assets, made out like a bandit. I believe it is also amply clear by now that innovation and Big Pharma don't go hand in hand (just look at Merck's decision today to de-emphasize 'platforms' in general). <br /><br />The validation that the field needed came in form Dirk Hausseckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18320439857875629714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post-12751595992908720982013-10-01T13:29:00.611+00:002013-10-01T13:29:00.611+00:00They should double-down with a $1.1B buyout of Tek...They should double-down with a $1.1B buyout of Tekmira. Imagine the possibilities!<br />A drug company without a pipeline is a dying company.experiencedmentornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post-86869798095224261492013-10-01T13:27:36.604+00:002013-10-01T13:27:36.604+00:00If you are correct, does this put another cloud ov...If you are correct, does this put another cloud over the RNAi space? Sure seems like as much money as Merck and Roche threw at RNAi, they should have something besides tax deductions to show for their efforts. Are Alnylam, Tekmira, and Arrowhead really that much smarter?Steve_382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857054149675424609.post-72580788819195682682013-10-01T13:00:15.249+00:002013-10-01T13:00:15.249+00:00The question is what will then happen to MRK's...The question is what will then happen to MRK's RNAi assets (including its hard fought and won Tuschl2 license). <br /><br />Martin A.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com