RNS Number:2650S
Cambridge Antibody Tech Group PLC
05 October 2005




05/CAT/15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

03.30 BST, 10.30 EST Wednesday 5 October 2005

For Further Information Contact:
Cambridge Antibody Technology                         Weber Shandwick Square Mile (Europe)
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 471 471                             Tel: +44 (0) 20  7067 0700                                        
Peter Chambre, Chief Executive Officer                Kevin Smith
John Aston, Chief Financial Officer                   Yvonne Alexander                                 
Rowena Gardner, Director of Corporate Communications  Rachel Taylor
                                                      BMC Communications/The Trout Group (USA)
                                                      Tel: 001 212 477 9007
                                                      Brad Miles, ext 17 (media)
                                                      Brandon Lewis, ext.15 (investors)





CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY REPORTS RECENT PROGRESS IN LICENSED PRODUCT
CANDIDATES



Cambridge, UK - Cambridge Antibody Technology (LSE: CAT; NASDAQ: CATG) today
acknowledges the announcements this week by Human Genome Sciences, Inc (HGSI)
and Abbott Laboratories relating to LymphoStat-B(TM), ABthrax(TM) and HUMIRA(R).



LymphoStat-B (belimumab) is a fully human anti-BLyS monoclonal antibody licensed
by CAT to HGSI. HGSI is developing LymphoStat-B as a potential treatment for
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In an
announcement dated 5 October 2005, HGSI announced that the results of a Phase II
clinical trial demonstrated that LymphoStat-B was safe, well tolerated, and
showed signs of clinical effect in patients with SLE, although the drug did not
meet the overall primary efficacy endpoints of reducing the signs and symptoms
of SLE at Week 24 as measured by SELENA SLEDAI, or increasing the time to first
SLE flare over 52 weeks. LymphoStat-B reduced the signs and symptoms of SLE at
Week 52 at a level of statistical significance in seropositive patients, a
subgroup that represented 75% of the studys patient population, as measured by
both SELENA SLEDAI (p=0.021) and the Physicians Global Disease Assessment (p=
0.016). Trends to greater reduction in prednisone therapy also were observed
across the active study population. Based on these results, HGSI stated that it
now has a path forward to Phase III for LymphoStat-B in SLE.



Further information on LymphoStat-B can be found on the HGSI website:
www.hgsi.com.



ABthrax is a fully human monoclonal antibody licensed by CAT to HGSI. HGSI is
developing ABthrax for use in the treatment of anthrax disease. In an
announcement dated 3 October 2005, HGSI announced that it has been awarded a
two-phase contract to supply ABthrax, a human monoclonal antibody developed for
use in the treatment of anthrax disease, to the US Government. Under the first
phase of the contract, Human Genome Sciences will supply ten grams of ABthrax to
the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for comparative in vitro
and in vivo testing. Under the second phase of the contract, under the Project
BioShield Act of 2004, the US Government has the option to place an order within
one year for up to 100,000 doses of ABthrax for the Strategic National
Stockpile, for use in the treatment of anthrax disease. The HHS comparative
testing results, along with HGSIs own preclinical and clinical study results,
will form the basis of the US Governments decision process for exercising its
option for additional product for the Strategic National Stockpile.



Further information on ABthrax can be found on the HGSI website: www.hgsi.com.



HUMIRA (adalimumab) is a fully human anti-TNF alpha monoclonal antibody,
isolated and optimised by CAT in collaboration with Abbott and now approved for
marketing as a treatment for RA. In an announcement dated 4 October 2005, Abbott
Laboratories announced it has simultaneously submitted a supplemental Biologics
License Application (sBLA) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a
Type II Variation to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) seeking approval to
market HUMIRA as a treatment for ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory disease
of the spine and spinal joints.



Additionally, on 4 October 2005, Abbott announced that the FDA approved HUMIRA
as a first-line treatment of recent onset moderate to severe RA. The EMEA
granted similar approval in August 2005.



Further information on HUMIRA can be found on the Abbott website:
www.abbott.com.





Notes to Editors:

Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT):

Business:

CAT is a biopharmaceutical company, aiming to bring improvements to seriously
ill patients lives and thereby create outstanding returns for shareholders. CAT
seeks to develop products independently and in collaboration with partners,
using its capabilities and technologies in the discovery and development of new
and innovative antibody medicines in selected therapeutic areas. CAT also seeks
to licence its technologies to enable others to develop new medicines.



CAT has strong financial foundations which arise from its balance sheet strength
and the revenue stream from HUMIRA(R) royalties. The diversified pipeline of
licensed antibody product candidates offers good prospects for growth in the
medium term and significant longer term opportunities arise from CATs
proprietary development and alliances, especially with Genzyme and AstraZeneca.



Products:

HUMIRA, licensed to Abbott, is the first CAT-derived antibody to be approved for
marketing. It was isolated and optimised in collaboration with Abbott and has
been approved for marketing as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 57
countries, and for psoriatic arthritis and early RA in some European countries
and the US.



There are six further CAT-derived antibodies licensed to partners at various
stages of clinical development, including ABT-874 (Abbott), LymphoStat-B,
HGS-ETR1, HGS-ETR2 (all Human Genome Sciences (HGSI)) and MYO-029 (Wyeth). CAT
has also licensed its proprietary technologies and patents to several companies.
CATs licensees include Abbott, Amgen, Chugai, Dyax, Genzyme, HGSI, Merck & Co,
Micromet, Pfizer and Wyeth, and three antibody drug candidates are in clinical
development at patent licensees.



There is one proprietary CAT human therapeutic antibody product candidates in
clinical development, CAT-354, and one in pre-clinical development with Genzyme,
GC-1008.



Collaborations:



CAT has a broad collaboration with Genzyme for the development and
commercialisation of antibodies directed against TGF beta, a family of proteins
associated with fibrosis and scarring, and with potential application in the
treatment of some cancers.



CAT has a major strategic alliance with AstraZeneca to discover and develop
human antibody therapeutics, principally in inflammatory disorders. This
provides CAT with the opportunity to build a substantial pipeline of antibody
therapeutics with a significant pharmaceutical partner.



CAT has a co-development collaboration with Amrad against GM-CSF Receptor, a
potential drug target in the development of RA.



Science:

CAT has an advanced proprietary technology for rapidly isolating human
monoclonal antibodies using Phage Display and Ribosome Display systems. CAT has
extensive phage antibody libraries, currently incorporating more than 100
billion distinct antibodies, which form the basis for the Companys strategy to
develop a portfolio of antibody-based drugs.



Business Background:



Based near Cambridge, UK, CAT currently employs around 290 people.



CAT is listed on the London Stock Exchange (CAT) and on NASDAQ (CATG).



More information can be found at www.cambridgeantibody.com





Application of the Safe Harbor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: This press release contains statements about Cambridge Antibody
Technology Group plc ("CAT") that are forward looking statements. All statements
other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may be
forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. These forward looking statements are based on numerous
assumptions regarding the companys present and future business strategies and
the environment in which the company will operate in the future. Certain factors
that could cause the companys actual results, performance or achievements to
differ materially from those in the forward looking statements include: market
conditions, CATs ability to enter into and maintain collaborative arrangements,
success of product candidates in clinical trials, regulatory developments and
competition. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on the forward
looking statements contained in this press release. These statements speak only
as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to update
or revise the statements.




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

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