FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Protein Design Labs,
Inc. (PDL) (Nasdaq: PDLI) recently reported preclinical data for F200, its
anti-alpha5beta1 integrin antibody fragment for the potential treatment of
ocular disorders, including age-related macular degeneration. Baruch D.
Kuppermann, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chief of the Retina Service
at the University of California, Irvine, presented the data in an oral
presentation at the 37th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Retina Society at
Baltimore, Md.
Dr. Kuppermann presented data in which F200 suppressed hemorrhaging and
leakage in a rabbit choroidal neovascularization (CNV) model. In this study,
subretinally implanted growth factor pellets of vascular endothelial growth
factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were used to induce
new blood vessel growth and hemorrhaging, indicative of wet age-related
macular degeneration (AMD). The study was designed to gauge F200's ability to
inhibit angiogenesis or new blood vessel formation, and to suppress the
development of CNV in a model that represents wet AMD, where the retina
remains intact.
Dr. Kuppermann said, "The recent study has shown that F200 can inhibit
retinal neovascularization induced by multiple growth factors, such as VEGF
and bFGF, and supports previous data which demonstrated that F200 can block
neovascularization in an experimental CNV cynomolgus monkey model. The
fundamental biology of targeting alpha5beta1 integrin may provide advantages
over targeting a single growth factor, such as VEGF, in that it disrupts a
common pathway for endothelial cell survival and acts downstream of multiple
pro-angiogenic growth factor pathways."
Richard Murray, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer,
PDL, said, "We are pleased that F200 has demonstrated significant activity in
these animal model studies and that we have observed no safety issues to date.
We currently anticipate that F200 will be the next PDL antibody to advance to
the clinical development stage."
About F200
F200 is a therapeutic antibody fragment that binds to and inhibits
alpha5beta1 integrin, a cell adhesion molecule that is upregulated on
activated endothelial cells of the blood vessel wall and is critical for
survival and proliferation of endothelial cells during the process of
angiogenesis, or new blood vessel formation. Upon binding to alpha5beta1
integrin, F200 induces apoptosis of the activated endothelial cells and
inhibits angiogenesis, regardless of the combination of growth factors
(VEGF, bFGF, HGF and others) involved in stimulating the angiogenic activity.
F200 is being developed for the wet form of AMD.
About AMD
AMD is the leading cause of severe vision loss and blindness in patients
over the age of 50. The early stage of AMD (dry AMD) is characterized by
fatty deposits called drusen in the back of the retina, leading to a gradual
loss of vision. Wet AMD, which is caused by growth of abnormal blood vessels
that destroys central vision by damaging the macula, the central part of the
retina, progresses more quickly and is responsible for 90% of the severe
vision loss associated with AMD. An estimated 1.2 million Americans have the
wet form of AMD, a prevalence that is expected to rise with the aging
population.
About Protein Design Labs
Protein Design Labs is a leader in the development of humanized antibodies
to prevent or treat various disease conditions. PDL currently has antibodies
under development for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, asthma and
cancer. PDL holds fundamental patents for its antibody humanization
technology. Further information on PDL is available at http://www.pdl.com.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that
involve risks and uncertainties and PDL's actual results may differ materially
from those discussed above. Factors that may cause such differences are
discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2003, and in its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period
ended June 30, 2004, and in other SEC filings. In particular, there can be no
assurance that the data from the preclinical studies of F200 are indicative of
results to be obtained in the human clinical trials that would be necessary to
demonstrate the antibody to be safe and effective.
NOTE: Protein Design Labs and the PDL logo are registered U.S. trademarks
of Protein Design Labs, Inc.
SOURCE Protein Design Labs, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.pdl.com
CONTACT:
James R. Goff, Senior Director, Corporate
Communications of Protein Design Labs, Inc., +1-510-574-1421, or
jgoff@pdl.com
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