Ab68 is one of two antibodies comprising XTLbio’s lead hepatitis C drug candidate, XTL-6865.
This pilot study was conducted in patients with hepatitis C following liver transplantation. Patients in this study were treated with 20, 40, 80, 120 or 240 mg doses of Ab68.
The antibody was administered once during the transplantation, then up to 3 times during the first 24 hours following the transplantation, then daily during the following 6 days, and then in a decreasing frequency during the following 11 weeks.
During the period of daily dosing (the first seven days following the transplantation) reduction in viral load from baseline was greater in the two highest dose groups (120 and 240 mg) compared to the placebo group.
On day 1 following the transplantation (when Ab68 was administered 3 times) the median reduction in viral load from baseline of the 240 mg group was 90% greater than the placebo group.
“The results presented are very encouraging” commented Dr Thomas Schiano, Medical Director of Adult Liver Transplantation at the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
The dual antibody product, XTL-6865, is presently in phase Ia clinical trial in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Results from this trial are expected in the second half of 2006.