Clavis counting on PK

The pivotal failure of CO-101 from Clovis Oncology Inc. and Clavis Pharma ASA led investors to hammer both stocks, as the U.S. company lost its lead program, which used Lipid Vector technology from its Norwegian partner. But the outcome may be more a reflection of the failure of the biological hypothesis underlying that particular trial than of the technology itself.

As a result, Clavis hopes its second shot on goal, elacytarabine, still can succeed in Phase III because of a significant pharmacokinetic advantage over the parent drug...