BERKELEY, Calif., March 4, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XOMA Ltd. (Nasdaq:XOMA) today announced the initiation of a Phase 2a clinical study evaluating its product candidate XOMA 052, a potent monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. IL-1 beta is a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in the pathophysiology and development of rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, gout and other inflammatory diseases. With this study, XOMA expands the development of XOMA 052 beyond its ongoing efforts in Type 2 diabetes, where it has shown anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects in both preclinical and human studies.
