Even though they were only primarily looking for conclusive evidence of p53 modulation, it would have been nice to see another PR like this one:

http://www.ipharminc.com/press-release/2016/1...g-kevetrin

Again, efficacy against tumors wasn't the goal of the phase 2a but it also wasn't the goal of the phase 1 trial. I think by focusing the type of tumor (ovarian which is notorious for p53 mutation) and a slightly more optimized dosage, there was hope that we would see some secordary, if only anecdotal, report on efficacy.

For now, we have to wait for oral formulation and then we will likely be doing another phase 2a with pills to get some idea of where we want the dosage to be. So if we get the formulation down, and we pick the right dosage, and we pick the right cancer type, and the results are good, we might get another report on a tumor shrinking in 2019.

So it's easy to see where the lack of enthusiasm comes from on Kevetrin right now. That doesn't mean we won't partner it for hundreds of millions upfront before then though. See Jounce and Five Prime for comparisons (preclinical/phase 1b cancer drugs) of billions in upfront + milestones.