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.

Tuesday January 16, 07:49 AM
Antisoma "buy," target price raised
LONDON, January 16 (newratings.com) - Analyst Mark Clark of ING Financial Markets reiterates his "buy" rating on Antisoma Plc (ticker: ASM (Milan: ASM.MI - news)

The 12-month target price has been raised from 45p to 58p.


In a research note published this morning, the analyst mentions that Antisoma (LSE: ASM.L - news) 's recent equity placement has raised 26.3 million before expenses, which has improved the company's risk profile. The placement has lowered time pressures on Antisoma for entering into a partnership for the AS1404 drug, ING Financial Markets says. The upward revision in the target price also reflects a shift in the base year, the analyst adds.

Antisoma to present at the BIO CEO conference

http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20070207120000H2999.html

A bit old but explains the sp rise.

From The Business Magazine...

SANOFI-AVENTIS and AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical giants, have opened talks with Antisoma, a British biotech firm, to license its revolutionary new cancer treatment.

Pfizer is also thought to be potentially interested in Antisomas product, which is being tested for use in the treatment of lung, prostate and ovarian cancer and could generate sales of $1.6bn (E1.23bn, 812m) a year.

The drug, currently known as AS1404, is in the third and final stages of clinical trials for lung cancer. Third stage trials for ovarian and prostate cancer will begin this year.

It works in combination with chemotherapy drugs by cutting off the blood supply to tumours, ensuring that they stop growing. This enables doctors to use lower doses of chemotherapy drugs such as carboplatin and Bristol-Myers Squibbs Taxol. The treatment has the advantage of leaving the area surrounding the tumour untouched, and will hopefully reduce the negative side effects of chemotherapy.

In the second phase of trials, patients being treated with AS1404 and chemotherapy drugs survived for over five months longer than those only using chemotherapy. Long term survival rates are not yet known.

Interest in the drug intensified after the announcement of positive data on the second stage of clinical trials. At one point the company was speaking to around 40 partners.

Glyn Edwards, Antisomas chief executive, confirmed that the company was in talks with a number of potential partners. He said: Until a deal is done, I cant name any names. AstraZeneca declined to comment. A Sanofi-Aventis spokesperson said: At this stage we cant comment.

The company is likely to receive an upfront deal of around $80m, a $200m plus sum on successful delivery of the drug to market, and between 20% and 25% of the drugs royalties.

A nice 339k buy today some things going down.

Webcast 12/02/2007 presentation. AS1404 With block buster prudential

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/VirtualPlayerFST.zhtml?c=133673&EventId=1466859&WebCastId=618261&StreamId=849066&id=&IndexId=&EID_TIK=&RGT=&RGS=1&CTID=

ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) announces its interim financial information for
the period ended 31 December 2006.

Highlights

AS1404
* Positive data from phase II trials
o Median survival extended by 5 months in lung cancer
o Positive initial findings in ovarian and prostate
cancers
* Preparations ongoing for phase III trial in lung cancer
* Good progress in talks with potential marketing partners

AS1411
* Progressing to phase II trials in renal cancer and acute
myeloid leukaemia (AML)
o Phase I trial shows promising activity in renal cancer
o Phase I trial provides further evidence for favourable
safety profile
o AS1411 demonstrates potency against cancer cells from
AML patients

AS1409

* Renal cancer and melanoma selected as initial indications for
phase I testing


Financial highlights

* 24.8 million net of expenses raised in oversubscribed placing
* Cash and liquid resources at 31 December 2006 of 33.6 million
(31 December 2005: 23.6 million, 30 June 2006: 14.9 million)
* Operating loss for the six months ended 31 December 2006 of 7.8
million (six months ended 31 December 2005: 9.6 million)

Dr Barry Price, Chairman of Antisoma, said: "Antisoma ended 2006 on a
high, having announced positive data from three phase II trials of
AS1404 and completed an oversubscribed placing. In 2007 we look
forward to further trial data, progression of four drugs to the next
phase of development and the conclusion of a major licensing deal for
AS1404."

http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20070215070100H5255.html

50p reached break out time.

1.1m trade at 50p some things going down.

Antisoma says Phase II trial of prostate cancer drug shows 'promising' results

http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20070223070000H7337.html

A new Intraday high, even at 50p these are still cheap.

A good RNS today from ASM on it's Phase II trial of its prostate cancer drug AS1404IT'S, that with the good progress in talks with potential marketing partners for AS1404 phase III makes ASM look very cheap at 50p could be a three or four bagger from here.

Shares Magazine February 22nd 2007

Antisoma can steer round the rocks in its path

During the period, the drug developer saw positive results from its phase II candidate AS1404, which is being developed for lung, ovarian and breast cancer.

Losses narrowed to 7.5 million and the company ended the half with 33.6 million cash in the bank but it still needs to find a licensing partner to help take the product through costly phase III trials.

However, with most major pharma keen to expand their oncology portfolios, it shouldnt have too much of a problem in securing a lucrative deal that should provide a boost for the share price when it comes.

The company also looks to be something of a takeover target, which should further support the shares.

Shares says: the company has a strong pipeline and shares should climb on positive news flow.

Investors Chroncile - 23 February 2007

ANTISOMA (ASM)

"Everything is going swimmingly," boasts Antisoma chief executive Glyn Edwards. Certainly, the outlook has improved dramatically since Roche decided not to option lung-cancer drug AS1404 last June. At the time, Mr Edwards insisted there would be considerable licensing interest from other parties, and he has been proved right. Antisoma says licensing discussions with several parties are heating up. The plan is to finalise a deal by the end of June this year.

And Phase II trial data has been impressive. Average survival of patients receiving the drug alongside chemotherapy was 14 months, compared with 8.8 months for those on chemotherapy only - one of the biggest increases in survival ever seen in a lung-cancer study. If data from trials in prostate cancer is also good, this could extend the potential market for the drug.

More good news

http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20070308070000H0273.html

Legal & General Group, acquisition of Shares

http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20070315121500H2145.html

Could break the 50p today.

Looks like it break the 50p today.

UK Cancer drug developer Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) announces that its Chief Executive Officer, Glyn Edwards, will present at the CIBC World Markets Annual Biotechnology & Specialty Pharmaceuticals Conference in New York on Wednesday 11 April.


http://www.veracast.com/cibcwm/biotech07/main/player.cfm?eventName=1141_antiso&appname=Microsoft Internet Explorer&os=Windows XP&wmversion=Yes - version 11.0.5721.5145&rmversion=Yes - version 6.0.12.1483

52p area is a historical resistance level - hit in Oct '01, Oct '03 and Apr '04.

Steve

London, UK, and Los Angeles, CA: 16 April 2007- Antisoma announces
that preclinical data supporting three of its drugs are presented
this week at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer
Research (AACR).

AS1404-Avastin-paclitaxel triple combination highly effective
Antisoma's scientists have for the first time evaluated a triple
combination of the Company's vascular disrupting agent, AS1404, the
anti-angiogenic Avastin and the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel. The
triple combination had powerful and synergistic (more than additive)
anti-tumour effects in a human lung cancer xenograft model. Moreover,
addition of Avastin and paclitaxel to AS1404 did not increase
toxicity.

These observations build on previous xenograft findings showing a
synergistic effect with an AS1404-paclitaxel combination. That effect
translated into a substantial survival benefit in a phase II trial in
non-small cell lung cancer. Preparations are being made for a pivotal
phase III trial combining AS1404 with chemotherapy in lung cancer.
The market opportunity in this setting is large, and would be further
extended if AS1404 also proved effective when added to an
Avastin-chemotherapy combination.

Synergistic effect of AS1404 combined with Erbitux
In a second combination study, AS1404 showed synergistic anti-tumour
effects with Erbitux in a lung cancer model. These findings, together
with the Avastin data, show that AS1404 has potential in combination
with newer, targeted therapies as well as longer established
treatments such as chemotherapies.

Broad potential of AS1411 alone and in combination
New data show that the aptamer drug AS1411 kills cells from a wide
variety of cancer cell lines. These include lines representing the
four most common cancers: lung, breast, prostate and colorectal; as
well as renal, gastric, pancreatic, melanoma, glioblastoma and
certain blood cancer lines. Doses lethal to cancer cells had no
effect on a fibroblast cell line representing normal, healthy tissue.

Separate experiments highlight the potential to combine AS1411 with
other treatments. When AS1411 was used together with paclitaxel or
cytarabine, synergistic killing was seen in a number of cancer cell
lines.

New light is shed on the anti-cancer action of AS1411. The drug
clearly induces apoptosis (programmed cell death). There are,
however, differences from the killing pattern seen with many
cytotoxic drugs, which generally achieve their maximum effect
rapidly. By contrast, AS1411 acts more slowly, continuing to cause
further cell death over a period of days.

AS1411 has completed phase I development, where it was shown to be
very well-tolerated and produced two objective responses in
late-stage renal cancer patients. Phase II trials in renal cancer and
acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) are now planned and the drug may
ultimately have potential against a variety of solid and blood
cancers.

Preclinical support for AS1409 trial plans
Antisoma recently announced that its forthcoming phase I trial of
AS1409, an antibody-cytokine fusion protein, would enrol patients
with renal cancer and melanoma. An AACR poster presents the data
which supported this choice, showing strong expression of the drug's
target in both of these cancer types.

Glyn Edwards, Antisoma's CEO, said: "Our AACR presentations
illustrate the strength and breadth of our pipeline and highlight a
number of ways to further expand the commercial opportunities for our
key products, AS1404 and AS1411."

Antisoma says successfully tests cancer drugs in combination with others

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=1903770