Arius Trop-2 targeting antibody has demonstrated a significant anti-tumor effect in animal models of human pancreatic cancer, inhibiting tumor growth by up to 100%. Subsequent testing showed efficacy in animal models of breast, colon and prostate cancers. The antibody compared favorably with Taxotere in prostate cancer model and has also shown the ability to be highly potent at low-dose concentrations.
Arius showed that the CD59 targeting antibody activates complement activity against cancer cells and inhibits tumor growth in animal models of breast, colon, lung and prostate. In animal models of breast cancer, tumor growth was inhibited by up to 100%. In particular, the potent effect was observed in breast cancer models that represent a patient population that cannot be treated by Herceptin, the only therapeutic antibody currently approved for breast cancer treatment.
David Young, president and CEO of Arius, said: “Both our Trop-2 and CD59 antibody programs have demonstrated novel approaches in treating cancer. Our Trop-2 antibody is a novel target and has been linked to aggressive cancers in the scientific literature, while our CD59 program has demonstrated the ability to foil a cancer cell’s ability to evade the immune system.
“These programs, in addition to our CD44 cancer stem cell program, were generated through our proprietary drug discovery technology, FunctionFirst, which is inherently designed to produce novel antibodies and identify unique cancer targets.”