BOSTON, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- MedImmune, Inc. today announced it will present 11 abstracts at the 71st Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, demonstrating the company’s breadth of ongoing, multi-stage research evaluating the origins and effects of inflammatory disease and novel disease pathways.
“MedImmune is pleased to present data that may provide significant insights into the nature of systemic autoimmune diseases as well as potential new treatment options for patients in need,” said Barbara White, M.D., vice president, clinical development, inflammatory disease.
Investigators will present results from eight studies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), one in scleroderma, one in rheumatoid arthritis and one evaluating therapeutic B-cell depletion across multiple autoimmune diseases.
“The research presented at ACR exemplifies MedImmune’s pioneering role in identifying new pathways involved in rheumatic disease and developing targeted monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) as potential treatments,” said Anthony Coyle, Ph.D., vice president, respiratory, inflammation and autoimmune disease research.
About MEDI-545
MEDI-545 is a fully human MAb targeting interferon-alpha. Published data indicate that levels of interferon-alpha are elevated in many patients with active SLE and other autoimmune disorders, and may be associated with disease activity. Preclinical data from animal models suggest that MEDI-545 may suppress the abnormal immune activity associated with lupus by binding to multiple interferon-alpha subtypes seen in the serum of lupus patients. MedImmune and Medarex, Inc. entered a collaboration to develop antibodies targeting interferon-alpha in 2004.
About HMGB1 (High Mobility Group Box Chromosomal Protein 1)
HMGB1, a pro-inflammatory protein secreted by different cell types, is part of the body’s response to trauma and infection. HMGB1 is expressed at high levels beginning 12 to 72 hours after an injury, which is about the time inflammation-associated tissue damage begins. Because of the timing and duration of expression of HMGB1, it may be an important factor in the sequence of events that result in severe tissue damage following injury or during chronic inflammation. MedImmune’s HMGB1 program is being conducted in collaboration with Critical Therapeutics, Inc.
About Anti-CD19
CD19 is a B-cell lineage-specific molecule involved in immune regulation. Preclinical studies indicate that antibodies targeting this antigen may block B-cell activity that is associated with many tumors and autoimmune diseases, including multiple myeloma, B-cell lymphomas, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Early research on the potential therapeutic benefits of blocking this molecule has been conducted by Thomas F. Tedder, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Immunology at Duke University Medical Center and leading authority in B-cell biology.
About Lupus
Approximately 350,000 individuals in the United States are affected with lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that causes the body to attack its own tissues and organs, including the skin, joints, blood and kidneys. Treatments for lupus include anti-inflammatory drugs, antimalarials, corticosteroids and drugs approved for other purposes, such as immunosuppressive agents given to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or medicines developed to treat arthritis patients. Lupus occurs about 10 times more frequently in adult females than adult males, and is two to three times more common among African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans.
About Scleroderma
Scleroderma is a chronic, autoimmune disease in which normal tissue is replaced with dense, thick fibrous tissue. In patients with scleroderma, the immune system triggers other cells to produce collagen in excess quantities. This excess collagen is deposited in the skin and organs, which causes hardening and thickening (similar to the scarring process). Although it most often affects the skin, scleroderma can also affect the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, kidneys, heart, blood vessels, muscles and joints. Scleroderma, in its most severe forms, may be life-threatening.
About MedImmune
MedImmune strives to provide better medicines to patients, new medical options for physicians and rewarding careers to employees. With approximately 3,000 employees worldwide and headquarters in Maryland, MedImmune is dedicated to advancing science and medicine to help people live better lives and is wholly owned by AstraZeneca plc . For more information, visit MedImmune’s website at http://www.medimmune.com.
CONTACT: Media, Jamie Lacey, +1-301-398-4035, or Investors, Peter Vozzo,
+1-301-398-4358, both of MedImmune, Inc.
Web site: http://www.medimmune.com/
