ImetelChat

I found it interesting that at the very end of the J and J conference at JPM, Alex Gorsky mentioned Imetelstat by name. You wouldn't know it though, since he mispronounced both Imetelstat AND myelofibrosis! This tells me he only knows what is reported to him and has very little in the trenches contact with the team, but of course gets detailed reports. I guess that's OK with a company as big as J and J but also tells us that since he saw fit to mention it by name in such a positive way, that Imetelstat is very much on active duty. Fisher, thanks for the updates and for keeping this board relevant and pertinent. Relevant and pertinent, hmmm, might be a little from the department of redundancy department but my thanks are sincere. Regards, bp

Thanks, Bio, also for your contributions. The fact that the CEO of the largest pharma on the globe mentions a not yet approved drug is quite remarkable. JnJ usualy is very cautious with communicating about early stage drugs. (note: they haven't send out press releases about IMbark or IMerge; that was done by Geron. Once asked about it why not, they said that they don't do that for early stage trials). Being at the top of such an imperium means that you surround yourself with the best people because it is impossible for him to deal with all the technical details himself. There are 1000's of new drugs they could choose from, but they took imetelstat. Mentioning it at such an occasion puts his reputation at stake. That's the most valuable a CEO has and the last thing he wants to loose. So there is only one conclusion: within JnJ there is high confidence that imetelstat will be a winner: a 'transformative drug', 'larger than all of us', so to say.

Bio, keep posting and commenting, I am sure others will follow. (we should try to get sdrawkcabeman over here....)

Hi Fisher, today's Janssen presentation again mentioned Imetelstat for MF and MDS, nothing new but one slide did indicate MDS to be a little further along than MF, I guess because the former is a II/III trial, (as far as we know there is only one patient in it as of a few days ago!) Imetelstat is in the pipeline and part of their developing portfolio (barring the unforeseen--like today's announcement of an ill fated drug test in France of a new painkiller--emphasis on the killer.) I hope this is a bottom with the crazy market. I agree it would be great to get sdraw, taz, and a few others?(maybe Dr. Scarlett would contribute--just kidding) over to this board. Glad Irish and Hoosier are already here. Regards, bp

Good promotion indeed. It shows confidence and that JnJ is taking imetelstat serious.