Dundee upgrades YM to “buy, venture risk”

Dundee Securities has upgraded YM BioSciences (TSX:YM; Amex:YMI) to “buy, venture risk” from “under review” based on the growing focus of JAK-1/2 inhibitors and the potential that may exist to differentiate YM’s CYT387 drug candidate in the space. Analyst David Martin writes that YM’s release of early data this week “suggests that CYT387 may provide [...]

YM posts significant response rates with JAK 1/JAK 2 Inhibitor

YM BioSciences‘ (AMEX:YMI;TSX:YM) data from the initial portion of the Phase 1/2 trial of its JAK1/JAK2 Inhibitor, CYT387, demonstrated “substantial activity” in reducing spleen size and controlling constitutional symptoms, as well as improving anemia in a considerable number of patients with myelofibrosis. “This additional benefit could significantly differentiate our JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor from others in development, [...]

Encouraging incremental data by Canadians at ASCO

Dundee Securities summed up some of the Canadian data presented at this year’s clinical oncology conference by AEterna Zentaris (NASDAQ:AEZS; TSX:AEZ), OncoGenex (NASDAQ:OGXI), Tekmira (TSX:TKM) and MethylGene (TSX:MYG) as “encouraging, but mainly incremental.” Nevertheless, analyst David Martin downgraded MethylGene to “neutral” from “buy,” without a price target. While he called data from the company’s MGCD265 [...]

YM financing to help accelerate CYT387 study

YM BioSciences (AMEX:YMI; TSX:YM) has raised about $3.2-million (U.S.) through a non-brokered private placement of 2.5 million common shares at a price of $1.27 each, with proceeds earmarked for an earlier-than-planned Phase 2 component of its trial at the Mayo Clinic with CYT387 in myelofibrosis. “The recent decision by the company to accelerate the current [...]

Canadians’ data heading to ASCO

Versant Partners analyst Doug Loe has compiled a list of six biotech companies that will have data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting on June 4 to 8.  He expects: · AEterna Zentaris (NASDAQ:AEZS; TSX:AEZ) to report final data from its 43-patient Phase 2 advanced ovarian cancer trial with its AEZS-108 drug, [...]

YM begins Phase 2 brain metastases trial for nimotuzumab

YM BioSciences (AMEX:YMI; TSX:YM) enrolled its first U.S. patient at the Florida Cancer Institute in a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating its nimotuzumab drug in patients with brain metastases from NSCLC . Last year, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control lifted the limitation on the development of nimotuzumab in the [...]

YM will have much to say in 2010

YM BioSciences (TSX: YM; NYSE Amex:YMI) has an active milestone schedule lined up in 2010, with clinical data coming out of Europe, Japan, Brazil and North America for its lead cancer drug nimotuzumab, YM’s vice president for strategic projects and corporate development Sean Thompson said at BioContact in Quebec City today. The drug is undergoing 11 [...]