Progenics said that the monoclonal antibodies were identified as part of its ongoing drug discovery efforts in infectious diseases. The data were presented at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.
Progenics stated that a panel of new murine antitoxin A and antitoxin B monoclonal antibodies were generated by its scientists. The monoclonal antibodies demonstrated toxin-neutralising activity at nanogram per ml concentrations in in-vitro studies. A combination of an antitoxin A antibody and an antitoxin B antibody was tested in an animal model of C difficile-associated disease (CDAD).
In the study, animals were infected with C difficile in the presence or absence of antibody therapy. Murine antibodies were used in the animal study. Following exposure to C difficile, untreated animals survived for three days or less. In contrast, all animals treated with Progenics’ antibodies survived to the end of the 37-day study.
Progenics said that humanised forms of the murine antitoxin antibodies were generated and tested in-vitro for toxin-neutralising activity against a panel of conventional and hypervirulent strains of C difficile. Progenics’ humanised antibodies were tested alongside the parent murine antitoxin antibodies and alongside active comparator antitoxin antibodies, CDA1 and CDB1. Humanised and murine forms of Progenics’ antibodies demonstrated similar toxin-neutralising activity in-vitro.
Paul Maddon, founder, CEo and chief science officer of Progenics, said: “Our antibodies represent a non-antibiotic treatment strategy that is designed to block the harmful effects of the toxins while allowing the colon to heal naturally and become repopulated with normal bacteria.
“We look forward to completing additional preclinical studies in order to select the optimal antibodies for development.”