The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) is a leading source of private funding for lupus investigations and, since its inception in 1999, has committed more than $30 million to lupus research.
Commonly called lupus, systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissue and organs, including joints, kidneys, heart, lungs and brain. Lupus, particularly in children, can be an aggressive disease and treatment options with fewer side effects are urgently needed.
According to Dr Charles Nicolette, principal investigator for the project and vice president of R&D for Argos, previous studies provide strong evidence that a protein called interferon-alpha contributes to immune system abnormalities in adults and children with lupus.
To translate this discovery into a useful product, antibodies have been generated in mice that bind to and neutralize the biologic activity of human interferon-alpha found in the blood of lupus patients. This mouse antibody will be ‘humanized’ for clinical testing in lupus patients.
“Receiving this grant is a major accomplishment and validation of previous ALR-funded studies co-funded by Argos,” said Clint Dederick Jr, chairman and CEO of Argos. “We greatly appreciate ALR’s financial support as it will help provide the resources to take our work to the next level – focusing on humanization of the antibody and manufacture of clinical-grade material to be used in a clinical trial planned for next year.”