NUVO has been lately publishing rNAPc2 results that don't add much to old data, and the stock has responded accordingly, approaching Aschoff's "fair price" of $3. But a few weeks prior, they published data on a new anticancer target that looks interesting, and against which they have developed antibodies . . .
>>Nuvelo Announces Publication of Preclinical Study Results Demonstrating the Potential of NTB-A as a New Target for Leukemia and Lymphomas
Tuesday June 5, 6:30 am ET
SAN CARLOS, Calif., June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nuvelo, Inc. (Nasdaq: NUVO - News) today announced the publication of data from a preclinical study of novel monoclonal antibodies against the cell-surface protein NTB-A. The data demonstrate that NTB-A is a potential new target for immunotherapy of B-cell malignancies including leukemia and lymphomas. The study, entitled "The lymphoid cell surface receptor NTB-A: a novel monoclonal antibody target for leukemia and lymphoma therapeutics," appears in the May issue of British Journal of Haematology.
Leukemia and lymphomas are malignancies of lymphoid cells. Monoclonal antibodies, in addition to chemotherapy, have been shown to be effective in eliminating lymphocytes in leukemia and lymphoma patients (1,2,3,4). However, a significant number of patients relapse after initial responses and eventually become resistant to existing therapies.
"The development of new antibody therapeutics is an important area of study as leukemia and lymphoma patients need more treatment options. This study not only lays the scientific foundation for continued NTB-A target and antibody development, but it also validates the focus of our cancer antibody research and moves us closer to identifying a lead candidate from this program," said Walter Funk, Ph.D., vice president of research for Nuvelo. "In addition to pursuing the NTB-A target, we are also studying other monoclonal antibody targets in blood cell malignancies and solid tumor cancers, and have established collaborations with leading clinical centers that support our ongoing preclinical program."
NTB-A is a CD2-related cell surface protein expressed primarily on lymphoid cells including B-lymphocytes from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and lymphoma patients. Nuvelo has generated a series of monoclonal antibodies against NTB-A and assessed their therapeutic potential for treating CLL and lymphoma through preclinical trials.
(1) Byrd, J.C., Stilgenbauer, S. & Flinn, I.W. (2004) Chronic lymphocytic
leukemia. Hematology (American Society of Hematology Education
Program), 1, 163-183.
(2) Kokhaei, P., Palma, M., Mellstedt, H. & Choudhury, A. (2005) Biology
and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Annals of Oncology,
16(Suppl. 2), ii113-123.
(3) Kuriakose, P. (2005) Targeted therapy for hematologic malignancies.
Cancer Control, 12, 82-90.
(4) Ortin, M. (2005) Immunotherapy of hematological malignancies: what is
new? Annals of Oncology, 16(Suppl. 2), ii53-62.
About Nuvelo's Cancer Antibody Program
Nuvelo's cancer antibody pipeline includes advanced targets in leukemia and lymphoma, and earlier-stage solid tumor targets in colon, lung and breast cancers. Nuvelo has developed monoclonal antibodies specific to these targets and is testing them in animal models. These models test the ability of antibodies to shrink human tumor tissue growing in immunodeficient mice (xenografts). Nuvelo is continuing to evaluate leading monoclonal antibodies in more advanced preclinical studies, and those that are sufficiently validated in animal models may move into to clinical trials.<<
The abstract adds only a little color:
>>Br J Haematol. 2007 May;137(4):307-18.
The lymphoid cell surface receptor NTB-A: a novel monoclonal antibody target for leukaemia and lymphoma therapeutics.
Korver W, Singh S, Liu S, Zhao X, Yonkovich S, Sweeney A, Anton K, Lomas WE, Greenwood R, Smith A, Tran DH, Shinkawa P, Jimenez M, Yeung P, Aguilar G, Palencia S, Vatta P, Mueller M, Zhan X, Newton EM, Liu Y, Zhao J, Emtage P, Levy MD, Hsi ED, Funk WD, Abo A.
Nuvelo, Inc., San Carlos, CA, USA. wkorver@nuvelo.com
NTB-A is a CD2-related cell surface protein expressed primarily on lymphoid cells including B-lymphocytes from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and lymphoma patients. We have generated a series of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against NTB-A and assessed their therapeutic potential for CLL. Selective mAbs to NTB-A were further tested in functional complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicty (ADCC) assays in cell lines and B lymphocytes freshly isolated from CLL patients. While lower levels of NTB-A were detected in T and natural killer (NK) cells, CDC activity was demonstrated primarily in B cells isolated from CLL patients and B lymphoma cell lines. Knockdown of NTB-A by small interfering RNA in target cells results in lower cytotoxicity, demonstrating the specificity of the mAbs. Furthermore, anti NTB-A mAbs demonstrated anti-tumour activity against CA46 human lymphoma xenografts in nude mice and against systemically disseminated Raji human lymphoma cells in severe combined immunodeficient mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate NTB-A as a potential new target for immunotherapy of leukaemia and lymphomas.<<
But others are looking at this target, and not for its anticancer properties but for immunological indications. Makes me wonder about off target effects in humans, as well as IP issues. Worth watching, but let's see it get past phase one trials. Here's Genentech's look (note they see possibilities in cancer in this 2004 article; I haven't looked, but this suggests they may have a patent application in already that may be difficult for NUVO to get around unless they inlicensed some related IP):
jbc.org
Full text freebie. With a large slug of cash -- about $2.50/share, or ~$130 million -- NUVO could be a value play (very little actual debt, but I haven't looked at converts, which would effectively be debt at this point). Haven't looked at burn, either. I'd be interested sooner if they just dropped rNAPc2 and reduced burn. For now, I'll just continue to watch.
Cheers, Tuck |
