ARTICLE | Product Development
Arius picks its epitope
February 4, 2008 8:00 AM UTC
Even though the last antibody targeting CD44 to enter the clinic was dropped because of toxicity, Arius Research Inc., which plans to submit an IND for huARH460-16-2 (AR001) this year, is not concerned. The company's humanized mAb targets a different epitope of CD44 and is not conjugated to a toxic payload.
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH discontinued development of bivatuzumab mertansine in 2005 because of skin toxicity in Phase I trials in patients with advanced carcinoma. The compound comprises the pharma company's bivatuzumab anti-CD44v6 antibody and mertansine, a maytansinoid DM1 cytotoxic agent from ImmunoGen Inc. (see BioCentury, Feb. 14, 2005). ...