Vical Incorporated (VICL), Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMY): This Biotech Stock Might Boost Your Portfolio

In terms of safety profile, I described above that Allovectin has no grade 3 or grade 4 adverse events. The problem with Yervoy is that there are mild adverse events. Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY) attributes these adverse events due T-cell activation and proliferation. So, Allovectin can gain an upper hand against Yervoy, considering it is also safer to use.

GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK) joins the party

Well, GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK) doesn’t want to let others lead over it in the melanoma market, as it has applied for FDA approval for both dabrafenib and trametinib. The company has also filed for dabrafenib in the EMA, and hopes to also add trametinib in the coming months.

In June 2012, 80% of patients with melanoma who took trametinib were alive at 6 months. That compared to only 67% of the patients alive at 6 months that took Chemotherapy alone.

In terms of dabrafenib, it had delayed disease progression of melanoma patients by 5.1 months. This compares better than patients on chemotherapy alone, which delayed disease progression by only 2.7 months.

Final thoughts

The space for the melanoma market is heating up, and I think that Vical can deliver on their phase 3 results of Allovectin. It will have to produce better results than big pharma companies like Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY), and GlaxoSmithKline. The good part about Vical is that their pipeline is pretty extensive.They are also targeting herpes simplex virus and the cytomegalovirus. The company uses its DNA vaccine technology to produce an assortment of vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases.

You can’t go wrong with this speculative play in your portfolio. Also, the success of Allovectin will prove that DNA vaccines are coming of age in the immunotherapy sector. This will show the science community that DNA vaccines can be used as a safe alternative to fight cancers and infectious diseases. So if all goes well, Vical can boost your portfolio.

The article This Biotech Stock Might Boost Your Portfolio originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Terry Chrisomalis.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.