ASCO braces for massive data dump before meeting

The analysts devoted to tracking biotech companies in the oncology arena will have their hands full tomorrow night at 9 p.m. EST. That's when ASCO will do an online data dump in advance of its annual meeting, revealing many of the little--and big--details that could spell swift gyrations in the value of a company's shares.

The data blast, which will cover the results from thousands of studies, marks a big change for the cancer group. In the past, ASCO members got an advance look at the data that was being presented, and the numbers oh-so-mysteriously migrated into the hands of investors, who were able to get a jump on the market movers. Last year, for example, you could tell who was going to release positive or negative data by the movement of a company's shares in advance of the meeting.

Analysts say this year's switch will cost them a night's sleep, but look for plenty of headlines over the weekend.

- read the report [1] from the Wall Street Journal

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