Much as I respect The Yankee for his solid views and expenditure...

Much as I respect The Yankee for his solid views and expenditure of energy on our collective behalf, and much as I agree with him and plenty of other posters that the suspension is not related to Teva decamping with their money, I have to disagree that the results of his call to Teva supports our hope that they are still on board at full strength.

I agree with others comments that if Teva intends to or has decided to abandon this trial, they still have an obligation to direct genuine (!) enquiries in the correct path. I mean, if a CHF sufferer (!!) is concerned enough to phone from the USA (!!!) and ask to be put in the trial Teva isn't going to tell them to seek elsewhere. The simplest and most ethical action for them is just to give the caller the number of a trial centre. Or even a "center". The response to Yankee is not even the vaguest support for a view that Teva's interest is unabated.

My reasons for believing that Teva remains on board are as follows. Firstly, it just doesn't make any sense for them to pull out after they have expended much time, energy and money getting to this point, a point where the FDA is showing every sign of cooperation, the DMC issues a safety green light, all on top of overwhelming phase 2 results. Considering that Teva knows no more about the phase 3 efficacy than us dummies do, why would they leave now? There's nothing visible to motivate their exit. Doesn't make sense.

Secondly, and subject to my imperfect knowledge of ASX rules, I think that if MSB has been told on the quiet that Teva is exiting, then that immediately is a material, price-sensitive fact that must be communicated to the market on receipt by MSB. They can't say, hey wait a minute, we'll rummage around for a new deep pocket for a week so when we 'fess up it will be a triumph and not an embarrassing tragedy. Happy to have an expert view on this.

So, my view is that MSB and some outfit has agreed a deal in principle but the lawyers, as they do, spin the contract details out for the obvious reason. MSB, as the responsible entity, being aware of the considerable likelihood of a less senior member of either party becoming aware of what's afoot and finding themselves unable to keep mum about it, has sensibly blocked all market movement until the ASX and you and me and the whole world can hear about it at once. So should it be. Who cares who the partner is, they're all good.

Hello to our old mate, The Yankee, out there in the silence of outer space. Are you saving a raft of drafts to tonk us with all at once? You must tell us what a bar of HC soap tastes like.