ZIOPharm is a biotech in the cancer space, with an important trial expecting data in the last week of March 2013.
PICASSO 3 is a phase 3 trial in soft tissue sarcoma, using ZIO-201, or palifosfamide. Pali, for short, is also being tested in a phase 3 trial for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with data nearer the end of the year.
They released news this morning that Indiana University has sponsored and initiated a phase 2 trial in recurrent metastatic germ cell (testicular and ovarian) tumors, using pali also. Since the lead investigator here is the same Doctor who leads the NSCLC trial it bodes well of him using the University's time, money, and prestige in bringing this phase 2 there.
ZIOP also has some interesting drugs in their pipeline, albeit most of them are much longer term propositions. Right now, this truly is a play on the PICASSO 3 trial.
While I am cautiously optimistic on its success there, biotech is not for the faint of heart! With the stock closing yesterday at $4.74, I am looking for a runup to the mid $5s in the next two weeks. If PICASSO 3 comes in sucessful I'd like to see the price hit somewhere around $7-8. And conversely, with failure I would expect a price of around $3, although rebounding over the summer to current levels due to the NSCLC trial, and pipeline, potential.
Best,
Trond Hildahl
** This is presented for educational and informational purposes only, and should not be construed as personalized legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. My own resources, risk tolerance, and personal situation have been taken into consideration for any trades mentioned and should not be used as a basis for someone else's trades. Stocks may lose value and this is not recommendation to buy or sell this particular issue. **
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