Data Published in Nature Cell Biology Reveal Novel Function of Drug Target EpCAM in Cancer Cell Signalling
13 January 2009 - 11:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Findings Support Development of Micromet's EpCAM-specific Antibody
Therapeutics BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Micromet, Inc. (NASDAQ: MITI), a biopharmaceutical company
developing novel, proprietary antibodies for the treatment of
cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases today announced the
publication of an article in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Cell
Biology(1) revealing a novel signalling function of the epithelial
cell adhesion molecule, or EpCAM (CD326), which is expressed with
high frequency on many types of solid tumors. Micromet is
developing two antibody drug candidates that target EpCAM: MT110, a
T-cell engaging BiTE(R) antibody, and adecatumumab (MT201), a human
monoclonal antibody. Principal investigator and senior author of
the article was Micromet's scientific collaborator Olivier Gires at
the Grosshadern Hospital of Munich University, Germany. The new
data by Gires and colleagues show that only cancer cells have an
actively signalling form of EpCAM, while normal cells have an
inactive form of EpCAM. When normal cells received the activated
form of EpCAM, as is found in tumor cells, and were then injected
into mice, they behaved like cancer cells in that they formed
tumors. "The findings of our latest publication may explain why
certain cancer patients with a high level of EpCAM expression on
their tumor cells have a reduced overall survival compared to
patients with low levels of EpCAM on their tumor cells. Since
activated EpCAM is expressed on the surface of cancer cells and
their stem cells, it is a very promising target for our
antibody-based drug candidates," commented Micromet's Senior Vice
President and Chief Scientific Officer, Patrick Baeuerle. Micromet
is developing two antibodies binding to EpCAM. MT110, an
EpCAM-specific BiTE antibody, is being tested in a phase 1 clinical
trial for the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal or lung
cancer. In addition, Micromet is conducting a phase 1 clinical
trial with adecatumumab, a human monoclonal antibody binding to
EpCAM, investigating its use in combination with docetaxel for
patients with metastatic breast cancer. A phase 2 study of
adecatumumab in colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases is
planned to be initiated this year. (1) Dorothea Maetzel, Sabine
Denzel, Brigitte Mack, Martin Canis, Philip Went, Michael Benk,
Cuong Kieu, Peer Papior, Patrick A. Baeuerle, Markus Munz &
Olivier Gires. Nuclear signalling by tumor-associated antigen
EpCAM. Nature Cell Biology. Published online: 11 January 2009; |
doi:10.1038/ncb1824 About Micromet, Inc. Micromet, Inc.
(http://www.micromet-inc.com/) is a biopharmaceutical company with
offices in Bethesda, Maryland and Munich, Germany. The Company is
developing novel, proprietary antibodies for the treatment of
cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases. The Company uses its
proprietary BiTE(R) antibody platform to create a new class of
antibodies that specifically activate T cells from the patient's
own immune system to eliminate cancer cells or other
disease-related cells. Four of the Company's antibodies are
currently in clinical trials, with the remainder of its product
pipeline in preclinical development. The Company's lead program is
a BiTE antibody known as blinatumomab, or MT103. It is in a phase 2
clinical trial for the treatment of patients with acute
lymphoblastic leukemia and a phase 1 clinical trial for the
treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Micromet is
developing blinatumomab in collaboration with MedImmune, a
subsidiary of AstraZeneca plc. Micromet's second BiTE antibody in
clinical development is MT110, which targets the epithelial cell
adhesion molecule (EpCAM). The Company owns all rights to MT 110,
which is currently in a phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of
patients with solid tumors. The Company's third clinical stage
antibody is adecatumumab, also known as MT201, a conventional human
monoclonal antibody that targets EpCAM-expressing solid tumors.
Micromet is developing adecatumumab in collaboration with Merck
Serono in a phase 1b clinical trial evaluating adecatumumab in
combination with docetaxel for the treatment of patients with
metastatic breast cancer. Micromet has licensed a fourth clinical
stage antibody, MT293, to TRACON Pharmaceuticals, Inc. MT293 is
being developed in a phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of
patients with cancer. The Company's preclinical programs include
MT203, which is being developed in collaboration with Nycomed.
MT203 is a traditional human antibody neutralizing the activity of
granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), which
has potential applications in the treatment of inflammatory and
autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, or
multiple sclerosis. Additional BiTE antibodies, targeting CEA,
CD33, Her2, EGFR and MCSP, respectively, are in different stages of
preclinical development. Forward-Looking Statements This release
contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially
different from historical results or from any future results
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements include statements regarding the
relevance of EpCAM as a drug target, the efficacy and intended
utilization of our product candidates and the development of our
BiTE antibody technology. You are urged to consider statements that
include the words "could," "may," "appear," "promising,"
"potential," "planned," or the negative of those words or other
similar words to be uncertain and forward-looking. Factors that may
cause actual results to differ materially from any future results
expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements include the
risk that product candidates that appeared promising in early
research, preclinical studies or clinical trials do not demonstrate
safety and/or efficacy in subsequent clinical trials, the risk that
encouraging results from early research, preclinical studies or
clinical trials may not be confirmed upon further analysis of the
detailed results of such research, preclinical study or clinical
trial, and the risk that additional information relating to the
safety, efficacy or tolerability of our product candidates may be
discovered upon further analysis of preclinical or clinical trial
data. These factors and others are more fully discussed in
Micromet's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
ended September 30, 2008, filed with the SEC on November 6, 2008,
as well as other filings by the company with the SEC. Any
forward-looking statements are made pursuant to Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, as such, speak
only as of the date made. Micromet, Inc. undertakes no obligation
to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise. DATASOURCE:
Micromet, Inc. CONTACT: US Media, Andrea tenBroek or Chris Stamm,
+1-781-684-0770, ; US Investors, Susan Noonan, +1-212-966-3650, ;
European Media, Ludger Wess, +49-40-8816-5964, ; European
Investors: Ines-Regina Buth, +49-30-2363-2768, , all for Micromet,
Inc. Web Site: http://www.micromet-inc.com/
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