Scoring early is a mixed blessing

To avoid the well-known biotech pitfall of relying on a single product for growth, a small company often must choose between sacrificing downstream revenue by partnering early or foregoing early opportunities in order to keep its portfolio intact. CV Therapeutics Inc. has tried to retain its revenue rights while simultaneously bringing multiple products into clinical trials. The price it is paying is a longer time to market and reduced options to support a rising stock price.

CVTX last week released strong results from its MARISA (Monotherapy Assessment of Ranolazine In Stable Angina) trial in 175 patients, demonstrating that three different doses of Ranolazine - a new class of angina therapy that alters cardiac metabolism instead of lowering heart rate and blood pressure - increased exercise duration versus placebo (p<0.005) (see B7). ...