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http://www.forbes.com/business/healt...1newdrugs.html

"Click here for a look at new experimental medicines "

Novartis' Gleevec works wonders for people suffering from chronic
myelogenous leukemia, or CML, which causes certain white blood cells to
proliferate uncontrollably. But eventually many patients become resistant
to the drug. In an early trial conducted at UCLA and M.D. Andersons,
Bristol's 354825 compound, however, was able to normalize white blood cell
counts in 31 of 36 leukemia patients who had failed or could not tolerate
Gleevec. BMS-354825 hits five bad proteins involved in cancer growth,
including BCR/ABL, the protein that goes awry in CML. Second-stage trials
are just under way. Novartis is testing its own successor to Gleevec,
called AMN107.

CP-675, CP-206
Both of these innovative compounds aim to unleash the body's immune system
to target cancer cells. They are monoclonal antibodies that help activate
a body's so- called killer T-cells to seek out cancer cells and destroy
them. In preliminary tests in advanced melanoma, the worst type of skin
cancer, each drug produced dramatic tumor shrinkage in at least some
patients. CP-675, 206, produced by Pfizer and Abgenix, just began
second-stage tests. MDX-010 from Medarex and Bristol-Myers Squibb is in
final-stage trials for melanoma."

For years, big drug firms have shied away from antibiotics. But now Wyeth
is touting this intravenous antibacterial as one of the gems of its
pipeline. The company says Tygacil, the first in a class of bacteria
killers called glycyclines, could treat skin and abdominal infections. And
whereas doctors often have to choose specific drugs to treat particular
bacteria, Tygacil might work against a wide spectrum of bugs. Wyeth said
on Dec. 15 that a regulatory application was submitted to worldwide
regulatory agencies, including the FDA.


New Drugs To Watch
Matthew Herper and Robert Langreth, 09.20.04, 6:00 AM ET

NEW YORK - Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are literally
developing hundreds of medicines. We've culled a few dozen that deserve
attention. Click on a disease category for a list of experimental
medicines being developed to treat related illnesses.

Some medicines have been removed from our list. "The Failures" (see
website) fell short in testing, and "The Graduates" (see website) were
approved by U.S. regulators.

Failures:
Exanta looked poised to replace Coumadin (warfarin), which for five
decades has been the only pill used to prevent blood clots in patients at
risk for stroke and other diseases. But issues of liver toxicity may have
torpedoed its chances. Originally derived from rat poison, Coumadin
interacts negatively with dozens of medicines and many foods. Many
patients get only a fraction of the potential benefit. AstraZeneca said
that Exanta works at least as well. But, during the FDA approval process,
it became clear that Exanta might cause liver failure far more than
regulators would ever accept. AstraZeneca pulled the drug's application,
and we are removing it from our watch list.

Genasense, Genta
Traditional chemotherapies work by hammering cancer cells so hard that
they literally self-destruct. Genasense aimed to block a protein called
Bcl-2, which normally prevents cell suicide, making cancer cells more
likely to kill themselves. But the results were lackluster. A Food and
Drug Administration advisory panel battered this drug in May 2004, stating
that it did not benefit skin cancer patients enough to outweigh its side
effects. Genta withdrew its new drug application. Despite some data in
blood cancers, Genasense's chances of approval anytime soon seem slim, and
we are removing it from our watch list.

Aprepritant
This drug has been used as a treatment for nausea caused by chemotherapy,
but its real sales potential was as an antidepressant. The compound
blocked substance P, a completely different neurotransmitter than the
serotonin which is inhibited by traditional antidepressants like Prozac
and Celexa. The supposed upshot: fewer side effects, including less sexual
dysfunction. Yet it failed to work in late-stage trials. Merck has killed
the program.


Genentech's tumor-starving drug, Avastin, works by targeting a single
protein. Neovastat, from tiny Canadian biotech Aeterna Laboratories, aimed
to starve tumors of their blood supply by knocking out several proteins.
But trials involving kidney cancer patients failed to prove that the drug
extended survival. Although it is still in development for treating other
cancers, we are removing it--for now--from our watch list.