Antibody News and Research

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An antibody is a blood protein that is produced in response to and counteracts an antigen. Antibodies are produced in response to disease and help the body fight against the particular disease. In this way, antibodies help the body develop an immunity to disease.

HIV/AIDS researchers, government officials track progress, forecast challenges for HIV vaccine development

More than 1,000 researchers, government officials and advocates are gathering in Atlanta this week to discuss the progress and future challenges in the development of a vaccine that protects against HIV, FierceVaccines reports (Carroll, 9/29). The AIDS Vaccine 2010 meeting, which kicked off Tuesday, will run through Friday, according to the website for the meeting (undated).

1 Oct 2010

AVEO regains global rights for development, commercialization of AV-299 anti-HGF antibody candidate

AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing cancer therapeutics, today announced that AVEO has regained worldwide rights from Merck (through its subsidiary, Schering Corporation) to develop and commercialize AV-299 (also known as SCH 900105), its anti-hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) antibody candidate.

30 Sep 2010

Discovery suggest a new direction for designing vaccines for rare HIV infection

New discoveries about the immune defenses of rare HIV patients who produce antibodies that prevent infection suggest a novel direction for designing new vaccines. Researchers at Rockefeller University and colleagues have now made two fundamental discoveries about the so called broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies, which effectively keep the virus at bay.

30 Sep 2010

Study shows immunotherapy improves survival rate in children with neuroblastoma

Using immunotherapy biologic agents that stimulate the body's immune system pediatric oncologists have achieved the first substantial increase in over a decade in cure rates for the childhood cancer neuroblastoma. A newly released study shows that the new treatment improved two-year survival rates by 20 percent, compared to standard treatment for an aggressive form of neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nervous system.

30 Sep 2010

Dyax, CMIC enter agreement to develop and commercialize DX-88 for HAE treatment

Dyax Corp. and CMIC Co., Ltd, announced today an agreement to develop and commercialize subcutaneous DX-88 (ecallantide) for the treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE) and other angioedema indications in Japan.

30 Sep 2010

NIH awards three grants to explore novel treatment strategies for muscular dystrophy

Three grants totaling more than $4.5 million, from agencies of the National Institutes of Health, will be used to explore novel treatment strategies for muscular dystrophy.

30 Sep 2010

New form of immunotherapy increases survival in children with neuroblastoma

Administering a new form of immunotherapy to children with neuroblastoma, a nervous system cancer, increased the percentage of those who were alive and free of disease progression after two years, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and fellow institutions. The percentage rose from 46 percent for children receiving a standard therapy to 66 percent for children receiving immunotherapy plus standard therapy, according to the study published in the Sept. 30, 2010 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

30 Sep 2010

HRT therapy can increase breast cancer risk

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers, affecting up to one in eight women during their lives in Europe, the UK and USA. Large population studies such as the Women's Health Initiative and the Million Women Study have shown that synthetic sex hormones called progestins used in hormone replacement therapy, HRT, and in contraceptives can increase the risk of breast cancers.

30 Sep 2010

ThromboGenics enters 10-year supply agreement with MSD Biologics for microplasmin

ThromboGenics NV, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for eye disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer, announces that it has signed a 10-year supply agreement with MSD Biologics (UK) Ltd, part of the Merck BioManufacturing Network, for the production of microplasmin. ThromboGenics anticipates that this deal will meet its long-term commercial needs for bulk drug substance of this novel therapeutic agent.

30 Sep 2010

Santarus, Cosmo announce positive results from budesonide MMX Phase III study in ulcerative colitis

Santarus, Inc. and Cosmo Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. today announced positive top-line results from the Phase III clinical study conducted in the U.S. and India to evaluate the safety and efficacy of budesonide MMX® for the induction of remission of mild or moderate active ulcerative colitis. The study results show that budesonide MMX 9 mg taken once daily met the primary endpoint of superiority to placebo.

30 Sep 2010

Researchers develop C5 technology to identify CTCs in breast cancer

Researchers have identified a novel, dual-platform technology, the On-Q-ity Circulating Cancer Capture and Characterization Chip (C5), which they believe is more efficient than the commonly used single-platform device in identifying circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in breast cancer.

30 Sep 2010

FDA, EMA and Health Canada approve Progenics' RELISTOR in pre-filled syringes

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) of the European Union (E.U.) and Health Canada, the Canadian Regulatory Agency, have each approved single-use, pre-filled syringes of RELISTOR® (methylnaltrexone bromide) Subcutaneous Injection for use in their respective territories. These pre-filled syringes provide a simplified dosing option for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in palliative-care patients with advanced illness.

30 Sep 2010

Duke receives approval to initiate NPC-1C Phase I trial for advanced pancreatic and colorectal cancer

Neogenix Oncology, Inc. announced today that researchers at Duke University Medical Center have received approval to move forward with a Phase I trial of the company's lead therapeutic antibody, NPC-1C, in patients with advanced stage pancreatic or colorectal cancer. Duke joins Johns Hopkins Hospital which is already conducting the Phase I trial of NPC-1C. In addition to Johns Hopkins, North Shore - LIJ has also enrolled patients on this multi-center study.

30 Sep 2010

Precautionary guidelines on flu vaccine safety for allergic children

With the flu season looming and health officials calling for across-the-board immunization, some parents may wonder just how safe the egg-based flu vaccine is for children with allergies. Pretty safe, say pediatricians from Johns Hopkins Children's Center: Even though the flu vaccine contains egg protein, most children with egg and other food allergies can be immunized safely with a few basic precautions.

30 Sep 2010

New immunotherapy regimen improves survival rate in children with neuroblastoma: Research

30 Sep 2010

Breakthrough neuroblastoma treatment

According to a new study the addition of an experimental immunotherapy drug to the standard regimen of care extended the lives and decreased the risk of a disease recurrence in children with high-risk neuroblastoma. This tumor most frequently originates in one of the adrenal glands, but can also develop in nerve tissues in the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis. It forms 12 percent of cancer-related deaths in children under the age of 15 and half of patients with this type of malignancy have the high-risk form.

29 Sep 2010

Swine flu no longer a threat to Americans: Report

According to the latest research most Americans are immune to the swine flu virus. Results of the study by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, published in the journal mBio show that around 59 percent of the 310 million U.S. population has developed immunity to H1N1 either from exposure to similar viruses, vaccination, or natural H1N1 infection.

29 Sep 2010

Pulmokine receives NIH SBIR grants to develop novel treatments for PAH

YM BioSciences Inc., today reported that Pulmokine Inc. (Slingerlands, New York), a licensee of several small molecule compounds from YM, has been awarded two National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants. The grants, totaling more than US$650,000, are Phase I awards to develop novel treatments for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH).

29 Sep 2010

XOMA completes patient enrollment in XOMA 052 Phase 2a trial

XOMA Ltd., a leader in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies, announced that patient enrollment was recently completed for the company's Phase 2a trial of XOMA 052 in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

29 Sep 2010

Quidel receives FDA clearance for QuickVue RSV 10 immunoassay test

Quidel Corporation, a leading provider of rapid diagnostic testing solutions, announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the sale of its QuickVue RSV 10, a lateral flow immunoassay test for the qualitative detection of acute respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections.

29 Sep 2010