BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Micromet, Inc. (NASDAQ: MITI), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel, proprietary antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases, today presented first interim data from a phase 1 dose-escalation clinical study for BiTE antibody MT110, the first T-cell engaging antibody for the treatment of solid tumors. The interim data(1) were presented at the Multidisciplinary Congress of the European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) and 34th meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Berlin, Germany. MT110 is designed to direct the patients' own T cells against cancer cells that express the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). To date, 20 patients with late-stage lung or gastrointestinal cancers have been treated with MT110. The starting dose in this phase 1 dose escalation trial was 1 g per patient per day. Results from doses up to 12 g per patient per day were reported. MT110 is administered by continuous intravenous infusion for a minimum of four weeks with the option of additional treatment cycles until disease progression. No maximum tolerated dose has been reached and dose escalation is ongoing. MT110 is well tolerated with no grade 3 or 4 clinical events related to MT110 therapy observed so far. The most frequent adverse events related to MT110 treatment were mild pyrexia and fatigue. Laboratory analysis of all patients revealed an early clinically asymptomatic increase of liver enzymes that normalized after several days under continued treatment. Other laboratory abnormalities included transient lymphopenia. No cytokine release syndrome, pancreatitis or immune response to MT110 was observed. At the dose levels tested to date, disease stabilization was seen in 7 of 18 evaluable patients after the first cycle of treatment, and dose escalation continues. "We are very encouraged by the tolerability of MT110 observed in this heavily pre-treated population of cancer patients and look forward to updating our results as we continue to increase the dose," commented Prof. Walter Fiedler from the University Hospital of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, and principal investigator of the study. "The interim phase 1 results and activity of MT110 at the current dose level are what we expected based on our preclinical data," commented Christian Itin, CEO of Micromet. "We are now looking forward to exploring the clinical activity of MT110 at higher dose levels." MT110 is the second BiTE antibody undergoing clinical investigation. Micromet also has ongoing trials for blinatumomab (MT103), including a phase 2 trial for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and a phase 1 trial for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. (1) Fiedler, W. et al. (2009) Safety and pharmacology of the EpCAM/CD3-bispecific BiTE antibody MT110 in patients with metastatic colorectal, gastric, or lung cancer. ECCO/ESMO Meeting, Berlin, Abstract No. 1254 About BiTE Antibodies BiTE antibodies are the first T cell engaging antibodies to show clinical benefit in cancer patients, representing a new approach to cancer therapy. While previous attempts have shown the potential for the body's cell destroying T cells to treat cancer, these therapies have been hampered by the cancer cells' ability to avoid recognition by T cells. BiTE antibodies engage T cells to attack cancer cells anywhere in the body. About Micromet, Inc. Micromet, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel, proprietary antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Its product development pipeline includes novel antibodies generated with its proprietary BiTE antibody platform, as well as conventional monoclonal antibodies. Two of Micromet's BiTE antibodies and three of its conventional antibodies are currently in clinical trials. Micromet's preclinical product pipeline includes several novel BiTE antibodies generated with its proprietary BiTE antibody platform technology. Micromet's collaboration partners include Bayer Schering Pharma, Merck Serono, MedImmune and Nycomed. 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 safety, efficacy, and intended utilization of Micromet's BiTE antibody MT110 and other product candidates, the conduct, timing and results of future clinical trials, and expectations of the future expansion of our product pipeline and collaborations. You are urged to consider statements that include the words "ongoing," "may," "will," "believes," "potential," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," 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, 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, the risk that we or our collaborators will not obtain approval to market our product candidates, the risks associated with reliance on outside financing to meet capital requirements, and the risks associated with reliance on collaborators, including Bayer Schering Pharma, MedImmune, Merck Serono, TRACON and Nycomed, for the funding or conduct of further development and commercialization activities relating to our product candidates. These factors and others are more fully discussed in Micromet's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2009, filed with the SEC on August 6, 2009, as well as other filings by the company with the SEC. DATASOURCE: Micromet, Inc. CONTACT: US Media, Andrea tenBroek/Chris Stamm, +1-781-684-0770, , or European Media, Ludger Wess, +49(40)8816-5964, , or US Investors, Susan Noonan, +1-212-966-3650, , or European Investors, Ines-Regina Buth, +49(30)2363-2768, Web Site: http://www.micromet-inc.com/

Copyright