WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ --
AltaRex Corp. (TSE: AXO, OTC: ALRXF) announced today recently completed
laboratory analyses of serum samples from patients treated with BrevaRex(R)
MAb that further strengthen the Company's proprietary position and support a
multiple myeloma development strategy. The Company believes that a laboratory
study reported in the Journal Blood (Blood 2000,96:3147) provides further
rationale to pursue this clinical indication.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000831/ALTREXLOGO )
The Company intends to initiate a BrevaRex(R) MAb phase I/II clinical
trial in the first half of 2001 at the Myeloma and Transplantation Research
Center of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock,
Arkansas. The Research Center is focused exclusively on the research and
treatment of multiple myeloma and has been the leader in developing novel and
effective therapies for this blood cancer. The trial will be conducted under
the leadership of Dr. Barlogie (MD, PhD), a recognized expert in the treatment
and biology of multiple myeloma.
"We are very excited about this novel product and hope that the selective
targeting of myeloma cells will provide clinical benefit without the negative
side effects of standard chemotherapy. If successful, this product may open a
new avenue for the research and treatment of multiple myeloma," commented
Dr. Barlogie.
In a previously announced phase I study of BrevaRex(R) MAb, the Company
demonstrated that BrevaRex(R) MAb can elicit B and T cell immune responses to
the MUC1 tumor associated antigen. Like all monoclonal antibodies,
BrevaRex(R) MAb binds a specific region or binding site on the target antigen.
Of particular interest is the Company's new laboratory evidence that in some
of the patients this immune response is to multiple binding sites of the
antigen. This means that the immune system can be stimulated by BrevaRex(R)
MAb to mount a broad anti-tumor response to MUC1. The Company calls this a
multi-epitopic response -- a response previously described for OvaRex(R) MAb,
the Company's lead antibody in late stage clinical trials for the treatment of
ovarian cancer. This multi-epitopic response is the subject of the Company's
growing intellectual property portfolio.
As reported in the above mentioned Blood publication, the majority of
multiple myeloma patients have soluble MUC1 (sMUC1) in their blood and on
their myeloma cells, distinguishing them from people without the disease.
This differential expression of sMUC1 leads the Company to believe that
targeting sMUC1 with BrevaRex(R) MAb may elicit a broader and therefore more
effective therapeutic immune response than may be possible with traditional
antigen-based vaccine approaches and could be very safe compared to standard
chemotherapeutic approaches.
The multi-epitopic immune response elicited by BrevaRex(R) MAb could be
important, in part, for the production of an antibody response that the Blood
report demonstrated is depressed in patients with multiple myeloma. The
authors speculate that multiple myeloma may suppress the production of this
antibody response and therefore prevent an effective immune response.
Restoring this immune response is the goal of AltaRex's antibody-based
immunotherapy in general and now with BrevaRex(R) MAb in particular.
Interestingly, BrevaRex(R) MAb is among the most selective of antibodies
tested by the Company and others at differentiating diseased multiple myeloma
B cells from healthy donor cells.
"These findings could be extremely important to selectively targeting the
diseased blood cells and avoiding harm to normal cells, while providing a
robust immune response to multiple epitopes of the tumor associated antigen,"
commented Richard E. Bagley, President and CEO. "We believe that the AltaRex
approach is unique in altering the immunogenicity of the tumor associated
antigen and that BrevaRex(R) MAb could evoke a significantly more beneficial
effect when compared to traditional cancer vaccine approaches."
About Multiple Myeloma
There are approximately 40,000 people in the United States living with
multiple myeloma and 13,000 new cases of multiple myeloma are diagnosed each
year in the United States, making it the second most common blood cancer.
Incurable with conventional chemotherapy, multiple myeloma is a malignant
cancer of the plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cell found in many
tissues of the body, but mainly in the bone marrow. These cells are
critically important to normal immune system function. As the cancer grows it
destroys normal bone tissue, causing pain and crowding out normal blood cell
production. There are nearly 11,000 deaths expected during 2000, according to
the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
About AltaRex
AltaRex Corp. is focused exclusively on the research, development and
commercialization of antibody-based immunotherapeutic products to prolong life
and reduce the suffering associated with late-stage cancers. Data from
clinical studies suggest that through multiple mechanisms, AltaRex's
proprietary technology enhances the ability of the human immune system to
produce an anti-tumor response. The Company has five antibody-based products
in various stages of development. Its most advanced product is OvaRex(R) MAb,
in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Additional information about AltaRex research and development, news and
events can be found on its web site at http://www.altarex.com . Clinical information
can also be found at http://www.centerwatch.com . Additional information about
ovarian cancer can be found at http://www.nci.nih.gov , http://www.ovariancanada.org and at
http://www.ovarian.org .
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from
the statements made. For this purpose, any statements that are contained
herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be
forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words
"believes," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "expects" and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such risks
and uncertainties include, but are not limited to our need for capital and the
risk that the Company can not raise funds on a timely basis on satisfactory
terms or at all, changing market conditions, completion of clinical trials,
patient enrollment rates, uncertainty of pre-clinical, retrospective and early
clinical trial results, such as the results described above which may not be
indicative of results that will be obtained in ongoing or future clinical
trials, the establishment of manufacturing processes and new corporate
alliances, the timely development, regulatory approval and market acceptance
of the Company's products, uncertainty as to whether patents will issue from
pending patent applications and, if issued, as to whether such patents will be
sufficiently broad to protect the Company's technology, and other risks
detailed from time-to-time in the Company's filings with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities authorities.
The Toronto Stock Exchange has not approved or disapproved of the
information contained herein.
SOURCE AltaRex Corp.
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Related links:
http://www.altarex.com
http://www.ovarian.org http://www.centerwatch.com
http://www.nci.nih.gov http://www.ovariancanada.org
Photo Notes:
NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000831/ALTREXLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 201-369-3467
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/128163.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 128163
CONTACT:
Sondra Henrichon, Director, Investor
Relations and Corporate Communications of AltaRex Corp.,
781-672-0138, ext. 5110, or shenrichon@altarex.com; or Wayne
Hendry, Investor Relations of The Equicom Group, 416-815-0700,
ext. 238, or whendry@equicomgroup.com, for AltaRex
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