gsk is pushing relenza

Looks like the "settlement" has prompted GSK to start pushing Relenza through all circles. LANI is also getting mentioned, I wonder if GSK will push to get worldwide rights to LANI?

In my mind Biota still has quite a few years of Relenza royalties left, enough time for another round of major stockpiling and many seasonal sales. During this time LANI should come up along with some follow up compounds.

Is anyone else excited about Biota's future or is it just me? Perhaps this bear market is dampening expectations.

Check out these articles:

Concerted Effort Needed to Fight Drug-Resistant Flu Strain
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/03/03/concerted-effort-needed-to-fight-drug-resistant.html

"Some of the candidates are years away. But some, including Relenza (zanamivir), a cousin of Tamiflu, is already available, and another, peramivir, is in Phase 3 trials and close to being released, said Dr. Christine M. Hay, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

A multi-drug strategy is likely to be the most effective, Moscona stated, as resistance of virus strains to specific drugs becomes increasingly common.

Current drugs and others in the pipeline should be employed, Moscona wrote. These include:

Giving Relenza intravenously. Relenza is a drug in the same class as Tamiflu, but has not yet seen resistance.
Peramivir, an experimental neuraminidase inhibitor, is expected to be available intravenously as well as with a shot. Neuraminidase inhibitors are antiviral drugs that block a specific protein on the flu virus.
Long-acting inhaled neuraminidase inhibitors, which are, again, not yet licensed, but could be used in one dose as a treatment or once a week for prevention of the flu. "It's not clear how useful this is going to be over what's already there," Hay said. "It's just going to act longer."
"

Flu shots, Relenza to benefit from Tamiflu trouble
http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/flu-shots-relenza-benefit-tamiflu-trouble/2009-03-03

"Meanwhile, GlaxoSmithKline is reminding folks that its antiflu med Relenza is a "preferred medication" for this year's influenza subtypes. And it has "ample supplies" of the drug available.
"

Ample Supplies of Relenza Available as Flu Season Peaks
http://sev.prnewswire.com/health-care-hospitals/20090302/PH7732002032009-1.html
"RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., March 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) is prepared with ample supplies of the influenza antiviral medication RELENZA(R) (zanamivir) Inhalation Powder (www.RELENZA.com) to meet public health needs as the current influenza season peaks. According to newly updated influenza activity data (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/) released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu virus is widespread in 27 states.


Relenza is a preferred medication for all circulating subtypes of influenza virus according to CDC interim guidance, issued on December 19th, 2008 http://www2a.cdc.gov/HAN/ArchiveSys/ViewMsgV.asp?AlertNum=00279. Based on the latest CDC influenza activity data, the influenza A (H1N1) virus appears to be the most prevalent strain circulating this flu season in the United States, but concern of antiviral resistance persists with the influenza A (H1N1) strain. According to CDC surveillance data, RELENZA has not shown resistance to the influenza A (H1N1) virus or any of the other CDC-tested influenza virus subtypes circulating this flu season. Clinical significance cannot be inferred from this surveillance data.


Pharmacies can obtain RELENZA from their wholesalers.
"

With Tamiflu useless against predominant flu strain, other drugs pressed into service
Doctors turn to other drug therapies

http://www.cleveland.com/medical/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1236159233204820.xml&coll=2

"With flu activity widespread in Ohio and many other states, patients are being treated with Relenza, an oral inhaler"

Influenza beckons for Biota
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25074956-664,00.html

""I'm focused on the future and the more I read about the spread of influenza, the more I think we are going to see a Relenza revival," Mr Power said of the anti-flu drug which governments are ordering up big. "