Amgen Phase III Immunotherapy Trials Fail; CVM Last Player On Deck This Year (AMGN, TEVA, DNDN, CVM)

On Wednesday of last week, Amgen AMGN said that its head and neck cancer drug Vectibix failed in Phase III clinical trials. The drug did not materially improve survival for patients with head and neck cancers when compared to chemotherapy. Amgen said that patients treated with Vectibix lived 11.1 months on average compared to 9 months for those who received chemotherapy. The difference is not statistically significant. After Amgen's (AMGN) setback, the only other company with an immunotherapy drug for head and neck cancer in Phase III trials this year is CEL-SCI Corporation CVM, with its drug Multikine. Multikine is the first of a new class of cancer immunotherapy drugs called Immune SIMULATORs. It simulates the activities of a healthy person's immune system, which battles cancer every day. This therapy is similar to Dendreon's DNDN blockbuster prostrate drug, Provenge. Teva Pharmaceuticals TEVA is CEL-SCI's partner on Multikine. The company has a market cap of $102.94 million, suggesting that CEL-SCI may be a takeover target if larger drug companies see potential in Multikine. Currently, the stock trades at around $0.50, but could run big time if this head and neck immunotherapy drug is a success. The shares hit a 52-week high of $2.10 in the Fall of 2010. There are some large institutional investors who are bullish on this company. Major holders of the stock include Vanguard, BlackRock, and CALPERS. While investing in these kinds of biotechnology companies is inherently risky, the rewards can be well worth it when everything comes together. If you are interested in learning more about CEL-SCI CVM, visit their website here. You Can't Afford Miss To Out On These Money Making Trading Ideas.