ImetelChat

There has been a lot of discussion on SA and YMB regarding the Gilead (nee Forty Seven) CD 47/Azacitidine Ib study that has been expanded to include lower risk MDS. I am starting to look a studies to try to asses whether this combination could "leap frog" Imetelstat. I found this in one of Dr. Irving Weissman early studies published in PNAS Feb 19, 2013: "We also examined CD47 expression in other myeloproliferative disorders, such as polycythemia vera, post-polycythemic myeloid metaplasia with myelofibrosis, essential thrombocythemia, agnogenic myeloid metaplasia, and chronic myelomonocytic leuekmia. None of the samples we examined from these disorders displayed increased CD47 (data not shown). It is likely that the fixed, high expression of CD47 on AML cells and CML-BC cells represents a late event in malignant progression, whether by genetic or epigenetic heritably increased expression. A summary of all the human samples analyzed is shown in Table S2."

As mentioned previously, it appears that CD 47 becomes increasingly expressed as MDS progresses from low risk to high and then leukemia. Clearly the expanded study is including these patients because the combination drug has not been tested in this population. At least in theory one would think the high transfusion burden lower risk patients might not benefit as much as higher risk patients and Geron's focus has been on lower risk patients and they also have strong data in MF. The effects on disease modification at least in lower risk MDS patients and MF might be less striking but nonetheless the ongoing Gilead 1b study is taking a look. This may be a very interesting ASH. bp

So in other words, simply put, CD 47 is less a threat to Imetelstat. But, due to the potentially disease modifying effects, Imetelstat is a commercial threat to CD47.
IF this is the case, seems that GERN would be an acquisition target by GILEAD. Ummmm...

Ashah, I wouldn't hold your breath, Gilead just spent a combined 20B on acquisitions. Doubt they have any interest in Geron.

Make that 25 B