MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., March 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Immunomedics, Inc.
(Nasdaq: IMMU) today announced that a patient with severe resistant systemic
lupus erythematosus (SLE), including the development of human antichimeric
antibodies (HACA) against rituximab, responded to the Company's new humanized
anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody.
"To the best of my knowledge, this is the first case of a patient with
severe SLE no longer responding to the chimeric rituximab anti-CD20 antibody
being responsive to an investigational humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal
antibody," stated Dr. David A. Isenberg at the Centre for Rheumatology,
Department of Medicine, University College in London, in a just published
Letter to the Editor in the journal, Rheumatology. "This case report not only
demonstrates that B-cell depletion is effective in the management of patients
with severe resistant SLE, but that in the presence of host antibody against
the chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, rituximab, the humanized anti-CD20
antibody appeared to be effective," added Dr. Isenberg. Immunomedics
provided its proprietary antibody on a compassionate use basis.
"We are pleased that our humanized CD20 antibody is effective in the
management of severe SLE. This corroborates the thesis that SLE is a B-cell
mediated disease and that B-cell targeted antibodies may be active in the
treatment of this debilitating illness," commented Ivan D. Horak, M.D.,
Executive Vice President, Research and Development, and Chief Scientific
Officer of Immunomedics.
"The CD20 antibody is the second antibody in our clinical portfolio to
have demonstrated activity in lupus patients. We expect to launch two pivotal
phase III trials in the first half of calendar year 2005 in patients with
moderate to severe lupus with our lead B-cell targeted antibody, epratuzumab,"
remarked Cynthia L. Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Immunomedics.
Immunomedics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of
monoclonal, antibody-based products for the targeted treatment of cancer,
autoimmune and other serious diseases. We have developed a number of advanced
proprietary technologies that allow us to create humanized antibodies that can
be used either alone in unlabeled or "naked" form, or conjugated with
radioactive isotopes, chemotherapeutics or toxins, in each case to create
highly targeted agents. Using these technologies, we have built a pipeline of
therapeutic product candidates that utilize several different mechanisms of
action. We believe that our portfolio of intellectual property, which
includes approximately 90 issued patents in the United States, and more than
250 other issued patents worldwide, protects our product candidates and
technologies.
This release, in addition to historical information, contains forward-
looking statements made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. Such statements, including statements regarding clinical trials,
out-licensing arrangements, and capital raising activities, involve
significant risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially
from those expressed or implied herein. Factors that could cause such
differences include, but are not limited to, risks associated with new product
development (including clinical trials outcome and regulatory
requirements/actions), competitive risks to marketed products and availability
of financing and other sources of capital, as well as the risks discussed in
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30,
2004. The Company is not under any obligation, and the Company expressly
disclaims any obligation, to update or alter any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Company Contact: Chau Cheng, Associate Director, Investor Relations &
Business Analysis, (973) 605-8200, extension 123. Visit
the Company's web site at http://www.immunomedics.com .
SOURCE Immunomedics
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Related links: http://www.Immunomedics.com
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/113121.html
CONTACT: Chau Cheng, Associate Director, Investor Relations & Business Analysis, Immunomedics, +1-973-605-8200, ext. 123
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