BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 12, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- XOMA Ltd. (Nasdaq:XOMA) today announced the start of a second Phase 1 clinical study of XOMA 052, a potent monoclonal antibody targeting Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), in patients with Type 2 diabetes. IL-1 plays a role in multiple inflammatory diseases and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes through the destruction of the pancreatic islet cells that produce insulin. According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 20.8 million adults and children in the U.S. have diabetes, and one out of every 10 health care dollars spent in the United States is spent on diabetes and its complications.
