Ariad's Ponatinib Runs Into Big Trouble

Just a note, in case any investors didn't realize it: no, drugs (and a drug companies) are not out of the woods after a compound has been approved and is on the market. Take a look at what's happening to Ariad and their BCR-ABL compound Iclusig (ponatinib). This is used to treat patients that have become resistant to Gleevec, and it's a very big deal for both those patients and for Ariad as a company. But the percentage of patients on the drug showing serious complications from blood clots has been rising, and that's prompted a number of moves: enrollment in further clinical trials is on hold, dosages are being lowered for current patients, and the product's label is being changed to add warnings of cardiovascular effects. If you're wondering how this affects Ariad as a whole, well, the stock is down 66% in premarket trading as I write. . .
Source: In the Pipeline - Category: Chemists Tags: Regulatory Affairs Source Type: blogs