BERKELEY, Calif., April 13, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XOMA Ltd. (Nasdaq:XOMA), a leader in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies, announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued two new patents that significantly expand the company's intellectual property portfolio relating to its anti-inflammatory antibody, XOMA 052, that targets interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). One of the patents covers methods of treating Type 2 diabetes with high affinity antibodies and antibody fragments that bind to IL-1 beta, including XOMA 052. The high affinity antibodies, such as XOMA 052, offer potential advantages in Type 2 diabetes because they may provide greater potency, less frequent dosing, reduced dose levels, and manufacturing efficiencies.
