RNS No 0730p
CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY GROUP PLC
5th November 1997

 
        Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc
                           
 CAT's collaborative partner Techniclone receives FDA
   permission to begin clinical trials with TNT for
                   malignant glioma
                           
One   of   CAT's   collaborative   partners
Techniclone Corporation announced earlier today that
the US Food  and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed
it to begin Phase I Clinical  Trials in the US with a
radiolabelled chimaeric (part mouse/part human) TNT
antibody for the treatment of malignant glioma (the
most common primary malignant brain turmour).
 
The  Phase I trials are designed to assess the safety
of TNT  in patients who are to have surgical resection
of  a recurrent  brain tumour.  In addition to their
treatment, partients  will be given imaging doeses of
TNT to  assess safety  of the drug in the body.
Endpoints in the  study include  safety,  determination
of the maximum  tolerated dose  and  assessment of the
patient's  response  to  the injected drug.
 

For further information, please contact:
 
Cambridge Antibody Technology            01763 263 233
David Chiswell      Chief Executive Officer
John Aston          Finance Director

Ludgate Communications                   0171 253 2252
Andrew Nicolls
Nicola How
 
 
Notes to editors:
 
CAT
 
CAT's  business  is  based on a  world  leading
platform technology  for  the rapid isolation of human
monoclonal antibodies.  This technology has
applications both in the development of antibody-based
human therapeutic  products and as a drug discovery
tool, particularly in the context of functional genomics.

CAT's  strategy is to capitalise on the strength  of
its platform technology in order to build a diverse
portfolio of  antibody-based human therapeutic
products.   Clinical trials  of  two human monoclonal
antibodies developed  by CAT have already started in
1997.  Phase I/IIa Trials  of CAT's  anti-TGFBeta 2
monoclonal antibody  in  patients  with early
proliferative  vitreo  retinopathy  have  recently
commenced,  and earlier this year Phase I/IIa  trials
of the  human  anti-TNFAlpha  monoclonal  antibody
isolated  and developed by CAT in collaboration with
Knoll (BASF)  were initiated by Knoll in patients with
rheumatoid arthritis.

CAT will also continue to use its platform technology
as a  drug  discovery tool, to seek to secure  licenses
and collaborative   agreements  with   other
pharmaceutical companies, including genomics companies,
thereby  gaining further   access   to  antibody
targets of   potential therapeutic interest.
 
CAT  has  already entered into a number  of  licence
and collaborative   agreements   with   pharmaceutical
and biotechnology   companies.   These  include:
technology licences   with   Genentech,  Pfizer   and
Eli   Lilly; therapeutic  antibody licences with Knoll
(BASF),  Knoll (BASF)/Genetics Institute and Mitsubishi
Chemical;  joint ventures  with Techniclone and ObeSys
(with BTG);  and  a licence agreement with Integra Life
Sciences.
 
Tumour Necrosis Therapy (TNT)
 
TNT  is  a  process whereby radiolabelled antibodies
are targeted  at necrotic tissue found at the core  of
solid tumours.   As  such it has the potential to kill
growing tumour  cells  without attaching to
surrounding  healthy tissue.  TNT acts by binding to
the necrotic cells at the core  of  the tumour and
irradiating the tumour from  the inside.
 
Techniclone and CAT
 
Techniclone,  a  Californian  company,  and  CAT  have
a collaborative joint venture to exploit TNT.  Revenues
and costs are broadly shared (except that Techniclone
retains manufacturing  rights).   The  programme
involved the development of both chimaeric and human
antibodies.The human  antibody,  which is in the pre-
clinical  stage  of development, is intended for
systemic application and  in vivo imaging.
 

END

MSCAVONKBSKARAA
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