Things KSS has wrong.
1. He is neither polite, nor professional.
2. The participant enrollment was not easily changed. The only change was to amend weight (still within normal BMI).
3. His well intended 'expert' advice was his opinion only and probably seen as excessive interference. He is after all a heptologist, not a ddRNAi expert. However, look out anyone who dares not bow down before him.
3. BLT's collaborations are not merely formulated around a couple of chatty e-mails, but detailed legally enforcable licence agreements and, as we know, iron clad enough that Benitec had to pay $5m + royalties to get 50% back from Biomics, who were awarded Biotech company of China in 2013, despite not being a 'drug developer'. This is, in fact, rather expensive (not a relative pittance) for a drug yet to be tested in animals, so I can only assume that Benitec have good reason for paying so much to get it back.
4. As for Benitec not been known among 'big-money' circles. Big deal! BLT is an emerging growth company so why would they. Funny how KSS knows all the 'big-money' tycoons though. I wonder if they helped him through his recent spate of unemployment. The only 'worse than benitec' comments have come from him and his attempts to coin a superlative lexicon have failed to take off.
5. Benitec have not refused to publish evidence of HCV knockdown. In fact, they have said they never expected evidence of knockdown in the first two cohorts, and have confirmed they will give an idea of efficacy in the third cohort by the end of this year.
6. The idea that it will take a couple of years to get through the HBV in-vivo trials is not unexpected, and has been indicated by BLT themselves.
This biggest issue about KSS's comments however, are because he bases so much of his venom on pure speculation. He doesn't work at Benitec so has no idea about what is going on behind closed doors, yet feels it appropriate to try and bring down a company that it trying to get life saving drugs into the clinic based purely on what HE thinks is going on behind closed doors. What sort of person (yet alone doctor) does this? God help any patent attorneys who take up his offer. One wrong move, or one non-returned e-mail and their reputation will be in tatters.
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