Antisoma (LSE: ASM.L - news) shares could double if the ovarian cancer drug, R1549, is successful, and halve if it is not says the Independent. Given the probability of success, reckoned to be about 65%, that looks a gamble worth taking says the paper.

From the other side.

Piper Jaffrey now has a 83.1p price target........with the Lung Cancer drug alone worth 45/50p!!!!


LONDON (Dow Jones)--Shares in U.K.-based Antisoma PLC (ASM) jumped Wednesday after an experimental cancer drug that it is developing with Novartis AG (NVS) of Switzerland produced good final Phase II results in patients suffering from non-small-cell lung cancer.

Dr. Ursula Ney, Antisoma's chief operating officer, said: "These positive results strongly support our earlier trial findings, which showed that adding ASA404 to chemotherapy improves survival in patients with lung cancer."

Nomura Code analyst Samir Devani said: "It's good news for Antisoma. It's their lead product and a key value driver and gives confidence in the magnitude of benefits at a high dose." Devani has a buy rating on Antisoma, with fair value at 50-52 pence a share.

At 1325 GMT, Antisoma shares were up 21% at 34.5 pence in a higher London market. But Antisoma shares at that level are nonetheless down 19% year-to-date.

Wednesday's good trial results by ASA404 contrasts with the experimental drug's failure, announced July 12, in a mid-stage clinical trial for ovarian cancer - news that sent shares in the British cancer specialist sharply lower.

However, Antisoma is in line to receive a $25 million milestone payment from Novartis when it begins recruiting patients for ASA404's Phase III trials in early 2008.

Daniel Elger, Antisoma's director of communications, told Dow Jones Newswires that the U.K. biotech company will receive the cash as part of its $780 million deal with the Swiss pharmaceuticals giant.

Novartis bought the rights to ASA404 in April and is now gearing up to begin late-stage testing of the experimental drug in lung cancer patients following Wednesday's second set of positive Phase II results. It has already received the first installments of an upfront payment of $75 million.

He added that Novartis is also preparing to initiate Phase III trials of ASA404 in the treatment of prostate cancer - provided the drug produces positive results in its Phase II trial - which is expected to be completed in late October.

" Novartis have said they are very keen to get going," Elger said. "Lung cancer is the lead indication for this drug, but they will also be looking to do other trials. We have had initial positive data on prostate cancer, but we await the final survival data.

"If that is positive, Novartis' plan is to do a Phase III trial in prostate cancer in parallel with lung cancer," he said.

Elger said lung cancer is the single most common cancer in the U.S. and Europe and the potential market opportunity for ASA404 is extremely large. "You are certainly into the blockbuster range in terms of sales that could be achieved," he said.

Phase II trial results for ASA404 released Wednesday show it corroborates data from an earlier Phase II trial, which demonstrated an increase in survival rates of non-small-cell lung cancer patients to 14 months when used with chemotherapy, compared with 8.8 months for those receiving chemotherapy alone, Antisoma said.

Collins Stewart analyst Navid Malik said that although Wednesday's results were good news for the company, he is keen to see how ASA404 performs in Phase III trials.

"The data is encouraging but the gold standard test is Phase III. They need to crack on with Phase III and then we will get the definitive view of what this drug can really do with lung cancer," he said.

Piper Jaffray analyst Sam Fazelli said in a note that he hopes data from ASA404's prostate cancer trial will further support his view that the drug has blockbuster potential. He reiterated his outperform rating on the stock and set a price target 83.1 pence.

"Our valuation suggests the lung cancer indication alone is worth around 45 pence to 50 pence per share," he said.

Elger told Dow Jones Newswires that Antisoma has no plans to license its other products and will instead seek to bring them to market itself.

The company's pipeline includes ASA1411, a biologic, starting Phase II trials for both leukemia and renal cancer; ASA1402, an antibody starting phase II for breast cancer; and ASA1409, still in preclinical development.

"The deal with Novartis only applies to ASA404. We will not be looking for similar deals with the other drugs because one of the strategically important dimensions with the Novartis deal is that we have an option to co-commercialize the drug with Novartis in the U.S.," Elger said.

Elger said Novartis will provide operational and financial support for Antisoma to set up an Antisoma-branded sales force to sell ASA404 alongside them.

"But that sales force will be free to sell any other Antisoma products that we bring through," he added. "So rather than partnering with the other drugs, it's our intention to take them forward through development ourselves. Ultimately, you can earn a bigger share of the drug's value by retaining rights and selling it yourself."

UK: 5 September 2007

Cancer drug developer Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM, US OTC: ATSMY) announces that
positive survival data from a recently completed trial of ASA404 are
presented today at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Seoul,
South Korea.
This single-arm phase II trial evaluated an 1800 mg/m2 dose of ASA404
in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy in
patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Key findings were as
follows:

* Median survival was 14.9 months
* Median time to tumour progression was 5.5 months
* Tumour response rate was 37.9%
* Addition of ASA404 to chemotherapy was well tolerated
* Safety findings were similar in patients with squamous and
non-squamous lung cancer

These data support the findings from an earlier, randomised phase II
trial in which the addition of ASA404 to chemotherapy produced one of
the largest increases in median survival ever reported in advanced
lung cancer. In that trial, patients who received a 1200 mg/m2 dose
of ASA404 combined with chemotherapy had a median survival of 14.0
months whereas patients who received chemotherapy alone had a median
survival of 8.8 months.

In the earlier trial, tumour response rates were 31.2% with 1200
mg/m2 ASA404 plus chemotherapy and 22.2% with chemotherapy alone.
Time to tumour progression was 5.4 months with ASA404 and 4.4 months
with chemotherapy alone.

Dr Mark McKeage of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, an
investigator in both ASA404 lung cancer trials and the presenter of
the new data in Korea, said: "This is a second set of positive data
on ASA404 in lung cancer. It's particularly encouraging to see more
evidence that patients receiving ASA404 on top of chemotherapy may
live longer than we would expect with chemotherapy alone."

Glyn Edwards, Antisoma's Chief Executive Officer, said: "These data
add considerably to the strength of the evidence supporting ASA404 in
its lead indication and give us extra confidence as the drug proceeds
into phase III testing."

Antisoma's partner, Novartis, plans to start enrollment of patients
into a phase III trial in non-small cell lung cancer in early 2008.

The poster presentation containing the ASA404 data presented at the
World Conference on Lung Cancer is available on Antisoma's website at

www.antisoma.com

Preliminary results 12/9/07

Highlights of 2006/2007

Major licensing deal with Novartis for ASA404 (formerly AS1404)

* Total potential milestones of USD $890 million
* Near-term payments of USD $100 million ($75 million received to
date)
* Option to co-commercialise product in US
* Phase III lung cancer trial expected to begin enrolment in early
2008


Positive clinical trial data for ASA404

* Five-month survival gain in randomised lung cancer trial
* Supportive data from second lung cancer trial
* Positive PSA response findings in prostate cancer


Positive data and progress on AS1411

* Cases of tumour shrinkage in renal cancer patients
* Lack of serious side-effects in phase I trial
* Randomised phase II trial started in acute myeloid leukaemia
(August 2007)


Financial summary

* Upfront payment of 38.2 million (USD $75 million) received from
Novartis
* 26.3 million raised in oversubscribed fundraising
* Cash and liquid resources of 61.4 million at 30 June 2007 (2006:
14.9 million)
* Full-year net loss of 9.8 million (2006: 16.9 million)


http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20070912070000H2943.html

Antisoma says cancer drug pipeline studies on track
AFX


LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Antisoma PLC said studies of its cancer drug pipeline are on track, and it expects to achieve further important milestones during 2008.

The phase III trial of ASA404 in non-small cell lung cancer will be extended to include a broader range of patients, it said.

It added that AS1402 is on track to enter a phase II trial for breast cancer next year.

Its phase II trial of AS1411 in acute myeloid leukaemia is on track to report initial data in the first half of next year, the company said.

The company also said it expects to meet its objective of initiating its phase I trial of AS1409 before the end of 2007.

TFN.newsdesk@thomson.com

ASH presentation supports Antisoma's AS1411 phase II trial in AML

http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20071210070100H4559.html

Had a small dabble with ASM again, interesting 2008 ahead.
3 brokers rate as a strong buy.

Looking good.

RPT Antisoma H1 pretax profit 4.1 mln stg vs 7.5 mln loss UPDATE
AFX


(Repeating to amend currency in Novartis deal from stg to usd)

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Cancer specialist Antisoma PLC, which today unveiled a swing to profits at the half-way stage, said it has the means to invest in its pipeline and sees 2008 as a 'significant' year with cash resources at the end of December of 50.4 mln stg, up from 33.6 mln a year earlier.

The funds come from a 75 mln usd payment from Novartis from a global licensing deal for its vascular disrupting agent ASA404 which Antisoma is booking as revenue on a time-apportioned basis between April 2007 and June 2008, with 25 mln usd still to come.

In the first half, the UK-based company booked a pretax profit of 4.1 mln stg against a loss of 7.5 mln stg last time, on revenues of 16.5 mln stg vs 0.3 mln last time.

In a separate announcement, the company, which specialises in buying in early stage drug candidates and progressing them into clinical development to commercialise or partner with a major company, also reported that it had entered a Phase I trial of AS1409 in renal cancer and melanoma.

AS1409 becomes the fourth drug that the company has entered into clinical trials, on top of ASA404, which is partnered with Novartis and set to enter late-stage trials for lung cancer, the leukaemia drug AS1411, which is in mid-stage trials, and the breast cancer drug AS1402 which is set to enter mid-stage trials later this year.

Chairman Barry Price said in the earnings statement this morning: '2008 promises to be a significant year for Antisoma, with ASA404 progressing to phase III and other drugs advancing through development.

'With a strong balance sheet, we are well placed to invest in and add value to our current pipeline and to add further promising drugs to our portfolio when opportunities arise.'

Up 13% this should now head back to 50p+

Still on the up 21.4% at midday.

was too cheap at 24p before christmas, too much going on and possible take-over target

with Dow weak this evening (at the mo) it is likely that ASM will be on offer cheaper tomorrow

ING has reviewed the European Biotechs which includes a buy recommendation on Antisoma (LSE: ASM.L - news) (62p price target) and says hold Vernalis (11p price target)

Initiation triggers USD 25 million milestone payment from Novartis

http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20080411063000H8407.html

Antisoma unveils pre-clinical data supporting AS1411
AFX


LONDON (Thomson Financial) - UK smallcap cancer drug developer Antisoma Plc. unveiled pre-clinical data of its anti-nucleolin aptamer drug AS1411.

At a presentation to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the company said AS1411 killed cells of blood cancer cell lines, including leukaemias, lymphomas and a myeloma, of which three were Burkitt's lymphoma lines.

Also, the AS1411-doxorubicin combination produced synergistic killing of the lymphoma cells.

Research director Dr Fiona McLaughlin said: 'These new data provide further support for our AS1411-cytarabine combination trial in AML, and also illustrate the broader potential of AS1411 against a range of haematological malignancies.'

TFN.newsdesk@thomson.com

London, UK, and Boston, MA: 16 May 2008 Cancer-focused biotechnology
company Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; US OTC: ATSMY) today announces that
it has entered into an agreement to acquire private US oncology
company Xanthus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in an all-share deal valued at
GBP 26.8 million (USD 52.2 million). Simultaneously, Antisoma has
executed a fundraising that will provide an additional GBP 20.9
million before expenses to the Enlarged Group.

http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20080516080900H0000.html

Antisoma now gaining critical mass in its field, looking very good for the future now.

what on earth happened today??

Dread to think! Luckily don't hold currently but this has been a promising-looking company. AZM looked as though it might follow at one point, but then regained its composure somewhat

Been holding since before Christmas and will continue to hold, so much going with ASM, it seems to move around from 22p-28p at moment but no apparent reason for fall today, very strange.

Particularly strange in view of today's news:

"London, UK, 29 May 2008 - Antisoma (LSE:ASM; USOTC:ATSMY) announces
that it has received a milestone payment of USD 25 million from
Novartis. This was triggered by the recent initiation of a phase III
trial of ASA404 in non-small cell lung cancer."