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| Research Sector |
Biotech Specialty Pharma |
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| Summary Description |
| New Therapies for Inflammatory Autoimmune Diseases |
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| Management |
| Shira Yair, CEO |
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| Keywords |
| Immunology, Rheumatology, Urology, Dermatology. Inflammation, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Psoriasis, Monoclonal Antibody, Autoimmune Disease |
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| Description |
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ProtAb develops monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. |
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| Products / Services |
The company's first product, Proximab, is a promising monoclonal antibody that is scheduled to enter the clinic in 2009 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ProtAb has established preclinical proof-of-concept for Proximab, demonstrating promising activity in various experimental autoimmune disease models of RA. Advanced preclinical development is ongoing, aimed at creating a humanized form of Proximab, where chimerization of Proximab has already been achieved.
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| Technology / Differentiation |
| Proximab is directed against a 16-amino acid surface epitope (termed peptide-6) of the bacterial heat shock protein 65 (HSP65). ProtAb's scientists have found that significantly fewer RA patients have natural antibodies against peptide-6 than do healthy individuals. Furthermore, Proximab antibodies interact not only with peptide-6, but moreover they cross react directly with a surface ligand on macrophages, and this interaction is the key to the mechanism of action of these antibodies. Following binding of the Proximab antibodies to macrophages, there is activation of a signal transduction pathway that leads to an increase in production and secretion of cytokines, specifically IL-10, that instruct the body to end the inflammatory process. This tilts the balance from pro-inflammatory signals, such as TNF-alpha, to anti-inflammatory signals, such as IL-10. |
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| Market / Customers |
RA remains one of the most lucrative fields in pharmaceuticals. Rheumatoid arthritis and related diseases cost the U.S. economy more than $65 billion annually in direct and indirect costs. The global market for RA therapeutics has experienced remarkably strong growth during the past five years due to the introduction of the biological response modifiers (BRMs) to treatment regimens, and already reached $14 billion in 2005. The market is currently dominated by the anti-pro-inflammatory agents that inhibit TNF-alpha, which have all achieved blockbuster status, and include the monoclonal antibodies Remicade (Centocor) and Humira (Abbott) and the soluble TNF receptor, Enbrel (Amgen). These biological agents accounted for $8.6bn or 66% of the market value in 2005. New additions to the RA market in 2006 include MabThera/Rituxan (Roche) and Orencia (BMS), a T-cell Co-Stimulation Modulator, and both are predicted to reach blockbuster sales levels. Thus, the market potential for a pro-anti-inflammatory agent, such as Proximab, used as a single agent or in combination with one of the anti-pro-inflammatory agents, is enormous. Besides the RA market, both IBD and psoriasis are prevalent autoimmune diseases, IBD affecting over 1M people in the US and psoriasis affecting an estimated 7.8 million people in North America as of 2006. The market potential in both of these additional disease indications is enormous, where the global markets were worth $2B each in 2005. In addition, anti-TNF-alpha agents have entered the markets of these disease indications, and the market share for biological agents is continually increasing.
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| Status |
| ProtAb is currently in the process of raising funds from local and foreign investors and venture capital funds. The immediate investment will be used for completion of pre-clinical development and testing of Proximab for RA and additional applications, local and IND submissions, and execution of a Phase I/II clinical trial in RA. |
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