Press Release Source: Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Alexion Pharmaceuticals Reports the Amelioration of Asthma Symptoms With Anti-C5 Therapy
Monday September 8, 6:30 am ET
- Preclinical studies presented at the World Allergy Organization Congress -
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXN - News) is reporting today that anti-C5 monoclonal antibody therapy blocked the development of bronchial inflammation and reduced airway hyperresponsiveness in preclinical models of severe allergic asthma. The findings are reported today by Dr. Yi Wang, Senior Director of Preclinical Sciences at Alexion, in an oral presentation entitled, "Amelioration of asthma-like syndrome with a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for complement component C5," during the Asthma Therapy I session of the World Allergy Organization Congress, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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"A significant clinical need exists for the development of new, targeted therapies for the treatment of acute asthmatic attacks," stated Dr. Jack Elias, the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Medicine and Chief, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT and collaborator on these studies. "The extensive preclinical studies conducted by Alexion suggest a direct role for terminal complement-mediated inflammation in the pathogenesis of asthma."
In the study, asthmatic mice with established airway inflammation were treated with a placebo or an anti-C5 mAb, which effectively blocks the generation of the proinflammatory mediators C5a and terminal complement complex C5b-9. Results showed that placebo treated mice developed airway hyperresponsiveness to an aerosol methacholine challenge. However, anti-C5 mAb treated animals showed a marked reduction in airway hyperresponsiveness following methacholine challenge, similar to those mice treated with steroids, a common treatment for severe asthma.
Additionally, a separate model designed to mimic an ongoing asthmatic attack was also studied. In this model, anti-C5 mAb was given only after mice exhibited severe asthma-like symptoms. The study demonstrated that anti-C5 mAb therapy effectively ameliorated the asthma-like symptoms through either intravenous injection or administration through an aerosol route. In this model, anti-C5 mAb therapy was significantly more effective in reducing lung resistance and increasing lung compliance than was steroid therapy. Additionally, analysis of bronchial fluid demonstrated that anti-C5 mAb therapy significantly reduced the number of white blood cells and inhibited the release of key inflammatory mediators.
"These promising data demonstrate that activated terminal complement components appear to be prime mediators of airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in these established preclinical models of allergic asthma," stated Dr. Stephen Squinto, Executive Vice President and Head of Research at Alexion. "We are encouraged by these findings and expect to continue to explore the potential utility of anti-C5 therapy in other preclinical models of asthma to gain a better understanding of the molecular action of anti-C5 therapy in this disease setting, thus, continuing to broaden the utility of our core technology." |
