Amorfix provides update on cancer therapeutic antibody programs

Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd., a product development company focused on diagnostics and therapeutics for misfolded protein diseases, provides an update on its cancer therapeutic antibody programs. The Company is announcing that it has completed the initial characterization of its anti-PrP antibodies in cellular assay systems, which shows selective binding to certain tumour cells, but not to normal cells.  Based on these initial results, the Company will be preparing to test the antibodies alone and as antibody-toxin conjugates to advance the program into proof of concept studies in animal models of cancer. The Company is continuing to develop antibodies for two other targets, Fas receptor and CD38, and expects to begin characterization in the fourth calendar quarter of 2011.

"To maximize our chances of success, we are applying a three pronged approach to our therapeutic antibody development program" said Dr. Robert Gundel, Amorfix President and CEO.  "Antibodies can be effective as therapeutics through a number of mechanisms including: 1) binding to a target and inducing a biological event such as tumour lysis or programmed cell death, 2) binding to a target and recruiting the body's host defense system to attack and kill the tumour, and 3) by delivering a toxic payload directly to the tumour. We have been very successful in generating high affinity antibodies against disease specific epitopes (DSEs), identified with the ProMIS technology, that show preferred binding to certain tumour cells, but not to normal cells. Our anti-PrP antibodies are ideal candidates for the toxin conjugate approach because of their selective tumour cell binding. In addition, we have generated a number of anti-CD38 antibodies that show similar binding characteristics to certain tumours, but not to normal cells. The Fas receptor program is not far behind, and we are continuing to generate antibodies to Fas receptor specific DSEs. We are very pleased with the continued progress towards advancing our cancer antibody programs."