BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

India approves Biocon's anti-CD6 mAb

January 9, 2013 1:24 AM UTC

Biocon Ltd. (NSE:BIOCON; BSE:BIOCON) said India's Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Alzumab itolizumab to treat chronic plaque psoriasis. The company plans to launch the humanized IgG1 mAb that inhibits CD6 in the country later this year. Biocon said the anti-CD6 mAb is a first-in-class therapy and is its second novel biologic developed at its biotech hub in Bangalore. The company, which could not be reached for details, said it will seek a global partner to develop the product.

Itolizumab met the primary endpoint of a significantly greater proportion of patients achieving a PASI 75 response at week 12 vs. placebo in the Phase III TREAT-PLAQ trial to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. It had an infection rate of 10%, which Biocon said suggests "a favorable risk benefit profile compared to currently available biologic treatments" (see BioCentury, Jan. 23, 2012). ...