Alzheimer's antibodies
Because the blood-brain barrier hinders the passage of macromolecules from the general circulation into the brain, antibody companies such as MorphoSys AG and Cambridge Antibody Technology Group plc are not likely to bet the farm on CNS disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. But both companies are using deals to provide lower-risk entry into the CNS arena, with MorphoSys (NMarkt:MOR) tying up to Roche Group last week, while Cambridge Antibody (LSE:CAT) cut a pact with Wyeth-Ayerst Research.
MOR (Martinsried, Germany) will apply its Human Combinatorial Antibody Library (HuCal) Fab technology to the generation and optimization of antibodies to a Roche target involved in the mechanism leading to the formation of the plaques that are characteristic of Alzheimer's...