Posted by: Iron heart Date: Monday, June 01, 2009 4:07:42 AM
In reply to: None Post # of 351
Therapeutic Antibodies: Potential to Revolutionize Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases
* On Sunday May 31, 2009, 11:45 pm EDT
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In the following brief excerpt from the 107 page report, the CEO of Xoma discuss the outlook for using therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
TWST: Please begin with a brief historical sketch of the company and a picture of the things you are doing at the present time.
Mr. Engle: We are a recognized leader in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies. Our lead product, XOMA 052, is a potentially revolutionary treatment for the inflammatory cause of many major diseases including Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune diseases. In addition, XOMA receives revenues from: the licensing of its antibody technologies to over 50 companies; product royalties (LUCENTIS and CIMZIA); development collaborations with Takeda, Novartis and Schering-Plough; and biodefense contracts. Based in Berkeley, California, XOMA has 200 employees.Our lead product candidate, XOMA 052, is a proprietary antibody that regulates production of the cytokine called interleukin-1 or IL-1, which is the master cytokine in activating the inflammatory cascade. We recently received a US patent for XOMA 052, providing an important acknowledgement that it has properties that differentiate it from other agents that target IL-1. We recently completed enrollment in Phase I studies of XOMA 052 in Type II diabetes and plan to announce top-line results from the US trial in July. The trials evaluated a wide range of XOMA 052 doses, single and multiple dose regimens, and intravenous and subcutaneous routes of administration. Interim results presented last fall from the single dose IV trials demonstrated that XOMA 052 is well tolerated across all doses. Further, XOMA 052 showed evidence of biological activity, including reduced levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, increased insulin production and reduced levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP, compared to placebo. CRP is a well-established marker for the systemic inflammation associated with cardiovascular disease, one of the largest pharmaceutical markets. For this reason, we have begun to evaluate XOMA 052 for its potential cardiovascular benefits in addition to considering it for development in diabetes and autoimmune diseases. In addition to XOMA 052 and the other products in our proprietary pipeline, we have a business focused on collaborations with other companies using our broad antibody technologies, a business focused on biodefense funded by the US government, and a royalty-based business based on our pioneering position in developing antibodies for therapeutic uses. We currently receive royalties on sales of LUCENTIS from Genentech and CIMZIA from UCB.
TWST: Would you sketch out your strategic agenda for the next two to three years?
Mr. Engle: We are very focused on advancing the development of XOMA 052 for diabetes and cardiovascular disease because it is a revolutionary approach and has the greatest single potential for maximizing the return to shareholders. Discussions toward a corporate partnership for XOMA 052 are underway and we plan to finalize this partnership by year-end. We plan to advance XOMA 052 for other indications and continue bringing forward the other proprietary compounds we have in pre-clinical development. With the advancement of XOMA 052, establishment of a corporate partnership, advancement of our pre-clinical pipeline and our other businesses, we believe we have multiple opportunities to significantly grow shareholder value.
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