CAT Catco Reinsurance Opportunities Fund Limited

RNS Number:9872E
Cambridge Antibody Tech Group PLC
4 February 2000


For Further Information Contact:
Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc  Tel: +44 (0) 1763 263233
John Aston, Finance Director                                                  
           
Dr. David Glover, Medical Director
Rowena Gardner, Communications Manager

HCC.De Facto   Tel: +44 (0) 171 496 3300
City/Financial, Rebecca Hennessey                
Trade/Science, Nikul Odedra
              
BASF Pharma Tel: +49 621 589 1428
Friederike Kanne                                                              

       
D2E7 BECOMES THE FIRST FULLY HUMAN MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY INTO PHASE III 
CLINICAL TRIALS

Melbourn, UK   Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) today announces that BASF
Pharma has initiated phase III trials of the fully human anti-TNF monoclonal
antibody D2E7 in rheumatoid arthritis. 

D2E7 was initially isolated and optimised as part of a research collaboration
between BASF Pharma and CAT. BASF Pharma is solely responsible for the
preclinical/clinical development of the product and its marketing, pending
successful completion of the pivotal studies and regulatory approval. 

Dr. David Chiswell, Chief Executive of CAT, commented " D2E7 is the first
fully human monoclonal antibody to enter phase III trials. Taken together with
the three other human monoclonal antibodies developed with CATs technology
also in clinical trials, it cements CATs technology as the leading technology
platform in the development of fully human antibodies as drugs. 

Dr. Thorlef Spickschen, Head of BASF Pharma, commented " The decision to start
clinical phase III underlines our confidence in the clinical phase II data
recently presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of
Rheumatology in Boston. At the same time, it demonstrates our strong
commitment to the area of immunology."

The entry of D2E7 into phase III trials triggers a milestone payment from BASF
Pharma to CAT.  



Notes to editors:


1. Cambridge Antibody Technology (LSE: CAT) is a UK biotechnology company
using its proprietary technologies in fully human monoclonal antibodies for
drug discovery and drug development.  Based in Melbourn, 10 miles south of
Cambridge, England, CAT currently employs around 150 people.  In March 1997,
CAT completed its initial public offering and listing on the London Stock
Exchange, raising approximately #41 million.

CAT has a world-leading platform technology for rapidly isolating fully human
monoclonal antibodies using phage display systems.  CAT has an extensive phage
display antibody library, currently incorporating around 100 billion distinct
antibodies. This library forms the basis for the company's strategy to develop
a portfolio of clinical development programmes and for discovering new drug
leads using functional genomics.  Four fully human therapeutic antibodies
developed by CAT are at various stages of clinical trials. 

CAT has a number of license and collaborative agreements in place with
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies including: Eli Lilly, Pfizer, BASF
Pharma, Genentech, ICOS Corporation, Genetics Institute/BASF Pharma,
Wyeth-Ayerst, Human Genome Sciences, AstraZeneca and Searle.

2. BASF Pharma represents the global pharmaceutical operations of BASF
Aktiengeschellschaft, Germany. BASF Pharma achieved sales worth DM4.5 bn
(EU2.3 bn) in 1998, an increase of 10 per cent over the preceding year. BASF
Pharma has a global workforce of 13,000.

3. D2E7 belongs to a new class of medicines that neutralise TNF (tumour
necrosis factor alpha). TNF is a cell communications protein that plays a role
in the immune system. In rheumatoid arthritis, TNF accumulates
disproportionately in the joints and initiates an inflammatory response that
causes swelling, pain and joint damage, often rendering the patient unable to
perform daily activities. Anti-TNF drugs neutralise this reaction by blocking
the chemical message sent from cell to cell that results in joint inflammation
and swelling. Essentially, D2E7 captures TNF and interrupts the process that
can lead to the symptoms of RA.

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis, affecting
more than six million people worldwide. 


END
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