Any thoughts on xen. I know that they were 4.50ish a few years ago. I bought them a few months ago at 17p so they owe me a bit of money.
Thanks mary

http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/040218/80/emdf2.html
"Drug shown to break down cancer's defences
LONDON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - A drug that strips cancer cells of their defences against chemotherapy could improve treatment for cancer patients with drug resistant tumours, scientists in Britain said on Thursday.

The drug attacks a molecule called P-glycoprotein which is produced by cancerous cells and acts like a bouncer to resist the damaging impact of chemotherapy.

"We knew that P-glycoprotein was found in large numbers of tumours, but we didn't know how important the molecule was for their resistance to drugs," Dr Richard Callaghan, of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, England, said in a statement.

In a study reported in the European Journal of Cancer, Callaghan and his team showed that the molecule was not only a vital element in drug resistance but that something could be done to counteract it.

Tumours may initially respond to chemotherapy treatment, which kills the cancerous cells, but can later develop a resistance to the toxic drugs. An estimated 30-80 percent of cancer patients may develop multi-drug resistant tumours.

To study how and why it happens scientists grew balls of cancerous cells in the laboratory to mimic the reaction of tumours to a drug called XR9576. One group of cells had high levels of P-glycoproteins while the other group had low levels of the molecule.

After treating both types of cells with either vinblastine or doxorubicin, two chemotherapy drugs, the scientists found that cells with low amounts of P-glycoprotein were more sensitive to the drugs.

Cells with high levels of the molecule were 20 times more resistant to doxorubicin and up to 300 times more resistant to vinblastine than the balls of cells with lower levels.

But when the scientists repeated the experiment and pre-treated the cells with the XR9576 drug the cells were much more sensitive to the treatments.

"It raises the possibility of new types of treatment to overcome a tumour's resistance to chemotherapy," Callaghan explained."

That news didn't cause much of a stir!

I find it hard to believe that people don't make the connection to Xenova!


Fly by Night

Red

http://www.xenova.co.uk/dc_xr9576.html

I'm not a holder but noticed this comment on fool board:-

''It couldn't be less significant, it's just confirmation that tariquidar is dead and academics that maybe did some experiments 5 years ago have been released from commercial confidentiality clauses - see

http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8383844''

DYOR
sw

Thank you for that Seawatcher!

I have a slight problem with what is in the post.
Let me first say that I have come across the poster Hallucigenia before & value his/her contributions.

However reference is made to 'only in vitro, work when quite clearly the drug has been tested on people in PhaseI, Phase II & phase III tests. The phase III testing has been largely abandoned although some positive results were announced.

The last statement I have seen was 'Tariquidar (XR9576): Phase III Clinical Trials stopped. Review of clinical data continuing with QLT' The results of this review have not been published as far as I am aware!

It is not surprising IMO, that some difficulties have arisen with the use of Tariquidar, which attacks the cell defence mechanism, which all us who eat need in operation every day!

My understanding is that the cell mechanism pumps out toxic substance that enter cells & this enables us to withstand the daily barrage of toxic compounds in the food we eat, or ingest in other ways!

Turning off this mechanism to enable chemotherapy to work more effectively is clearly fraught with danger.

The question is "is it possible to formulate the drug in a way that increases the efficacy of chemotherapy without allowing unacceptable damage to normal cells."?

Incidently That name 'Hallucigenia'! What does it conjure up to most people?

I'm going to call it a midget dinosaur or a velvet worm!

I hope to include a drawing of it, but more can be found at:-
http://library.thinkquest.org/3017/hallucig.htm

http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/shale/phallu.htm

Fly by Night

Red

hi all you Xen types...share up circa 20% today and then another 2 large buys after close of play, but no official news...ayone of you guys heard any whispers

WSJ article - don't get too excited.

what is WSJ article

Now chat for nearly 6 months - think I may be hooked into another PXC - buys allday (admittedly low volume) but the SP goes down. Anyone watching this and may have an update?

look at the last two trades!

maddoctor - thanks - I noticed - I cannot get use to play after hours - not cricket - however, SP returned to opening level

Morning Guys...potential 45m order, so looks like they are on the move after all these years and up 25% ish today
Be Lucky...p b

Wow.......sold these ages ago, but hung on to the warrants just in case!

Announced to-day;-

"UK smallcap opening - Xenova up on Oxxon deal
AFX


LONDON (AFX) - Xenova jumped 18.5 pct - or 1.25 to 8.00 pence - in response to news that the company has licensed its DISC vector, and vaccines developed using it, to Oxxon Therapeutics, a private biotech company based in Oxford, UK and Boston, US.

Simon Fazeli on Nomura adopted a 'neutral' stance on the stock following the news, taking the view that Xenova is trying to extract the best value that it can from projects that it is no longer funding.

He added that the key issue for Xenova remains its funding needs, which according to his model, become critical around the middle of this year.

The company may be able to delay its needs by out-licensing its addiction vaccines and raising enough cash to allow it to operate until the interim data from the first Phase 111 trial of TransMID are available, ie around the end of the year, Fazeli said.

If these are positive, it should then be able to raise money a lot easier, he concluded.

fjb/slm/

""""Xenova signs exclusive licensing agreement with Oxxon worth up to 44 mln stg
AFX


LONDON (AFX) - Xenova Group PLC said it has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Oxxon Therapeutics Ltd potentially worth up to 44 mln stg in up front and milestone payments, in addition to royalties on product sales.

The agreement provides Oxxon with the right to use the DISC-HSV Vector (Disabled Infectious Single Cycle - Herpes Simplex Virus) in a number of specified indications in the areas of oncology and infectious diseases.

Oxxon also has the option to further, as yet unspecified, indications subject to payment of additional fees.



newsdesk@afxnews.com
"""




IF IF this is successful, the sky is the limit. If not ??
I have a small hholing in these, wish it was bigger. No cash. No real dogs, just pups waiting to mature.

Can anyone explain to me as to whether someone or some institution bought or dumped 24.6m shares at 8.25p after the bell today.

Another 21m shares at 8.25p reported this morning and time shown as 1654 is this another case of mms manipulating the price to keep it artificially low or are there some big buyers about/orders to fill or again is it some serious dumping.

Hmmm. Very strange.

But if it brings the price down, look at it as a buying opportunity Bankone.

I've held these chaps for a long time now and have no intention of ditching them in the near future. This company is developing the 'right' sort of drugs as far as investors are concerned - i.e. drugs to combat addiction with a strong PR. Can you imagine the sales if they can produce a pill that will help stop smoking! The media will love that. Unlimited press coverage.

Dipped my toe in today for the long haul, any product that can make you give up smoking is good enough for me.
(Degusting addictive habit)

Driver, Come on, Smoking cuts down pension costs.

Fred1new
Stump it out fred.
It wouldnt surprise me if there were a hostile take over by the tobacco industry, its happened before with the water, hydro powered car by the big oil companies back in the 1930.

That would push the share price up.