Calming down

The general media is well-known for having only two ways of dealing with scientific news: events are either the greatest thing since sliced bread or the impending doom of civilization. Journalists are often abetted by researchers who make sweeping pronunciamentos about the scope and import of their work or the work of their colleagues.

The pandemonium started after the Times reported that ENMD's angiostatin and endostatin compounds were curing cancer in mice and quoted gushing optimism about the agents by prominent scientists (see BioCentury Extra, May 5).After hitting an intraday high of $85, elevating its market cap above $1 billion, ENMD stock closed the week at a more modest, although still elevated, $33.25, up $21.187 (176 percent) on the week...