The acquisition of Cougar Biotechnology Inc. by Johnson & Johnson seems to be a great success leading to promising outcomes in the treatment of prostate cancer in men. Late in 2010, J&J halted its Phase III clinical trial of its novel drug candidate, abiraterone acetate, which was originally studied by the analysts and scientists at Cougar Biotechnology. It is well known that Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald, along with his team of specialists in the biotechnology sector, invested in the first trial stages of abiraterone. The first clinical trial of abiraterone showed great success and promising results; therefore Lindsay Rosenwald funded Cougar Biotechnology and promoted indirectly the development of this drug and its further acquisition by Johnson & Johnson. Because interim analysis of the Phase III demonstrated good results, it was suggested that the company revealed the data and allowed the patients treated with placebo to take abiraterone. In October, the company is going to reveal the exact numbers and the time abiraterone can prolong lives. This data will be shared at a scientific meeting, which will take place in Milan. If the drug has statistically larger survival in prostate cancer patients, this will be enough for abiraterone to get approval, given the poor prognosis for those men, who failed Taxotere treatment offered by Sanofi-Aventis.

Sanofi is going to file marketing applications for it’s another drug, Cabazitaxel. However, it is still difficult to compare the drug with abiraterone. Patients treated with Cabazitaxel lived median 15.1 months. That time the drug was compared to Novantrone, a product by OSI Pharmaceuticals and EMD Serono. J&J compared its abiraterone plus the steroid prednisone treatment to prednisone alone.

It doesn’t matter what drug hits the leading position, since it is the fact that the sales of Provenge(a drug by Dendreon) won’t be affected. The drug was developed as an aid to the immune system and is commonly used in patients with castrate-resistant prostate cancer, whose disease progressed in spite of their hormonal therapy. Both these drugs are going to be used when patients fail their Taxotere treatment. Provenge is most likely to be used in these cases, too.

Since prostate cancer is considered to be the disease, which is very difficult to treat, abiraterone may be a good option for patients. Investors, like Lindsay Rosenwald, MD, have already noticed prospects of this drug and invested in its research and development giving more survival chances to men with prostate cancer.

Terminal stage prostate cancer sufferers, who had no more beneficial effect from chemotherapy, were treated with Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ) test preparation abiraterone which prolonged their survival for about four months in comparison with the people suffering from the same disease but treated with a placebo, in accordance with the results concerning a phase III research analysis provided at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) annual meeting on October 2009.

Johnson & Johnson reported the highest positive research returns from the analysis of abiterone treatment the previous month and declared firm intention to find the preparation’s commendation. Minute descriptions of the results, along with the numerous advantages of abiraterone treatment indisputably prolonging lives, were introduced at the ESMO annual conference.

The phase III research recruited 1,195 prostate cancer sufferers, treating them at random with abiterone acetate along with the steroid prednisone or a placebo along with prednisone. Every sufferer participating in the research had a diagnosis of metastatic, terminal stage prostate cancer with sarcomas no more beneficially affected by hormonal therapy or chemotherapy, namely the most famous and generally used preparation Taxotere.

The sufferers instituted abiraterone therapy showed 35% increase of chances to survive in comparison with the sufferers taking a placebo. The average statistics data on people surviving showed the results as follows: the sufferers treated with abiraterone survived for 14.8 months, and 10.9 of those treated with a placebo, which makes abiraterone about four months more effective in survival.

Physicians normally start prostate cancer sufferers treatment through hormonal therapy so as to cease testosterone producing and to delay sarcoma development, however many of the prostate cancers come to be refractory to such a therapy and begin growing anew.

The original research introduced at the ESMO congress and funded by leading investors, including Lindsay Rosenwald, MD, demonstrated the abiraterone usage on prostate cancer sufferers who have no more beneficial effect from hormone therapy and chemotherapy – the third line sufferers in hopeless condition. However Johnson & Johnson is researching and analyzing the effect of abiraterone usage on the sufferers who show no more beneficial effect from hormone therapy still not yet subjected to chemotherapy.

Prostate cancer immunotherapy Provenge

Aberaterone’s primary rivalry seems to have started due  Sanofi-Aventis’ (SNY) Jevtana, commended sooner current year for hopeless third line prostate cancer sufferers. In the middle of the phase III research, Jevtana demonstrated average statistics data on people surviving with treatment for 15.1 months in comparison with 12.7 months for the sufferers treated with different chemotherapy preparation mitoxantrone.

Medivation (MDVN) together with partner Astellas are working out MDV3100, a prostate cancer preparation which in its effect does not differ much from abiraterone. Phase III researches have already started.

About Abiraterone Acetate

Abiraterone has been licensed by Cougar Biotechnology and acquired by Johnson & Johnson after its phase II clinical trial for a late stage drug candidate for the treatment of prostate cancer. Cougar has been funded by several leading investors, including Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald, as a promising first-in-class compound tested in patients with advanced castrate-resistant prostate cancer, who have yet to receive their chemotherapy.

J&J filed its marketing applications in late 2010. If approved, abiraterone acetate will be allowed for distribution in early 2011 in the United States and Europe with the rest of the world to follow.

The most prolific personality in the field of investments and finances and also an expert in medicine, Dr.Lindsay Rosenwald always made brilliant forays in the Bio technological investments. A man of thorough knowledge in both fields he is and therefore his every investment turned to be worthwhile for the development of technology and also economical viability. Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald has an excellent record of making successful purchases in Life sciences sector for a long time.
Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald made a brilliant move by investing in shares of Bio tech company Genta. This purchase of Genta is really worth considering and can be acknowledged as a great investment by any close follower of the company affairs. Genta aims now at bringing out a wonderful drug intended to treat dreadful skin cancer. This medicine is in the final stages of testing and once the testing is over it will be passed on to Food and Drug administration for approval. The results with this Drug used to treat skin cancer can really bring a very big change in the profits of the company according to financial experts. This is where Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald is far ahead of other investors in wise investments.

Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald knows exactly where to invest. He has a very strong opinion about how the drug is going to fare and how the market responds to it. The information about Genasense is still to come out, but there is a very big debate on the outcome of the results and its success in the market. More information can be released from the company sources by November this year. Expert analysts are of the opinion that this wonderful drug used for skin cancer treatment is expected to do well and come through the tests very soon and get the approval from FDA as soon as the middle of next year.

All said and done it is not so easy for anybody to do excellently in two different fields at a time one, which is not at all related to the other by any means. This marvelous feet being consistently achieved by Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald time and again in the fields of finances and medicine is extra ordinarily brilliant. His success record of past twenty years speaks volumes about his dexterity and versatility in these fields.

Rosenwalds group of companies being his brain child is running ahead of many other companies in taking over a number of other companies and helping the portfolio companies perform well in the research and development field is fetching a remarkable name, fame and wealth to Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald. Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald has established such an excellent pharmaceutical company that has come out with marvelous drugs to treat prostate cancer and diabetes. These drugs are certainly going to make their niche in respective areas of treatment and win the confidence of the Doctors all over the globe.

Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald being a great investor and an excellent Bio scientist is also a great humanist. He runs a trust for the development of pioneering research works in different portfolio companies. He encourages the investment in the drug discovery and is fond of newer useful molecules that can do a world of good to the medical and bio technological fields.