Clinical Trial Information
01 May 2001 - 12:00AM
UK Regulatory
RNS Number:8475C
Cambridge Antibody Tech Group PLC
30 April 2001
For Further Information
Contact:
Cambridge Antibody Technology Square Mile Communications (Europe)
Tel: +44 (0) 1763 263 233 Tel: +44 (0) 20 7601 1000
David Chiswell, CEO Kevin Smith
John Aston, Finance Director Graham Herring
Rowena Gardner, Head of
Corporate Communications
BMC Communications/The Trout
Group (USA)
Tel: 001 212 477 9007
Brad Miles, ext 17 (media)
Brandon Lewis, ext.15
(investors)
CAT ANNOUNCES FURTHER INFORMATION ON CAT-152
Clinical trial results, research results and orphan drug
Melbourn, UK. Cambridge Antibody Technology (LSE:CAT)
announces that new data on CAT-152, CAT's human anti TGFBeta2
monoclonal antibody in development to prevent scarring after
eye surgery, are being presented at the Association for
Research in Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2001 conference
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Four presentations will be
given by leading eye researchers at the conference.
Two year follow up results from a phase I/IIa clinical trial
in 24 patients undergoing glaucoma surgery show that the
group of patients treated with CAT-152 at the time of
surgery achieved significantly lower intraocular pressure
(IOP) than those treated with placebo. Mean values two
years after surgery were 13.6mmHg (CAT-152) compared to
17.7mmHg (placebo) (p= 0.004). The pressure difference was
apparent despite clear trends for less use of post operative
injections and less use of topical medication in the CAT-152
group.
Dr David Glover, CAT's Medical Director, commented,
"Differences between CAT-152 and placebo treated patients,
previously reported 3 -12 months after surgery, have
persisted during further follow-up. These results suggest
that modulation of the initial wound healing response by CAT-
152 can have long lasting clinically beneficial effects. It
is well known that lower intraocular pressures after surgery
for glaucoma are associated with a much reduced risk of
progressive visual field loss. The effects of using CAT-152
at the time of surgery appear to lead to a more successful
outcome of the operation; whilst encouraging these findings
are based on low patient numbers. CAT is planning to confirm
these findings in further clinical trials of CAT-152 to be
initiated later this year."
Further data were presented suggesting a possible role of
CAT-152 to prevent 'secondary' cataract - a 'clouding' of
the posterior capsule of the lens that occurs in up to 40%
of patients following cataract surgery. In a laboratory
model system of secondary cataract, CAT-152 was able to
inhibit wrinkling of the capsule and had marked effects upon
the behaviour of lens epithelial cell as evidenced by
molecular markers, consistent with a potential therapeutic
effect.
Dr David Glover commented, "These results are encouraging us
to explore whether clinical trials to prevent secondary
cataract should be conducted with CAT-152, however our
priority focus remains the prevention of scarring following
glaucoma filtration surgery."
In a separate development, following a formal discussion,
CAT has received a positive opinion from EMEA's (European
Medicines Evaluation Agency) Orphan Drug Committee for CAT-
152. Written confirmation from the EC Commission is expected
shortly.
Notes to Editors:
Glaucoma and Glaucoma Surgery
Glaucoma is the name for a group of eye conditions in
which the optic nerve is damaged at the point where it
leaves the eye. The main cause of this damage is raised
pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure, IOP).
Glaucoma affects 2% of people aged over 40 years, and
the percentage of people affected rises with age such that
5% of over 65's are affected, rising to around 8% of over
75's.
Glaucoma is a major source of blindness. Treatment is
generally aimed at lowering the pressure in the eye to
prevent long term damage to eyesight. Eye drops are the
mainstay of treatment but more than 10% of patients require
surgery to control pressure. Scarring is the main cause of
failure of surgery for glaucoma. There are no approved
treatments to prevent this scarring. CAT has estimated that
up to 250,000 patients undergoing operations in the US and
Western Europe each year could benefit from treatment with
CAT-152.
Trabeculectomy lowers IOP by improving the drainage of
fluid in the eye.
Patients are classified as failures of surgery if there
is a need to resume topical medication and/or further
surgery is required.
CAT-152
CAT-152 is a fully human anti-TGFBeta2 monoclonal antibody
developed by CAT to specifically neutralise the cytokine
TGFBeta2, overactivity of which is believed to cause scarring in
and around the eye. CAT-152 is being developed as a
treatment to prevent scarring in the eye following glaucoma
surgery.
Cambridge Antibody Technology (LSE: CAT)
CAT is a UK biotechnology company using its proprietary
technologies in human monoclonal antibodies for drug
discovery and drug development. Based in Melbourn, 10 miles
south of Cambridge, England, CAT currently employs around
210 people.
CAT's ordinary shares are listed on the London Stock
Exchange. CAT raised #41m in its IPO in March 1997 and #93m
(#89.4m net of expenses) in a secondary offering in March
2000.
CAT has an advanced platform technology for rapidly
isolating human monoclonal antibodies, primarily using phage
display technology. CAT's library currently incorporates
around 100 billion distinct antibodies. This library forms
the basis for the company's strategy to develop a portfolio
of clinical development programmes and for discovering new
drug leads using functional genomics. Four human
therapeutic antibodies developed by CAT are at various
stages of clinical trials.
CAT works in partnership with other companies at all
stages of the drug discovery and development process. CAT's
collaborations, past and present, include: AstraZeneca, Elan
Corporation, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Genetics Institute,
Genzyme, Human Genome Sciences, Immunex, Knoll AG,
Oxford GlycoSciences, Pharmacia, Pfizer, Wyeth-Ayerst and
Zyomyx.
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