<If so any news?>
Don't know if the're at the conference, but heres what caused the "mini rally" up to 5 1/2:
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXN) today announced that it has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration requesting authorization to begin clinical trials of its proprietary C5 Complement Inhibitor, 5G1.1, for the treatment of patients suffering from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
5G1.1 is a novel, humanized monoclonal antibody, designed to inhibit complement activation with a prolonged duration of action and therefore to limit inflammation in chronic autoimmune diseases. In preclinical studies of lupus published in the Proceeding National Academy of Sciences, Alexion's C5 Inhibitor substantially prevented kidney damage and improved survival from less than 5% in untreated animals to over 80% with C5 Inhibitor Therapy.
According to the Lupus Foundation of America, approximately 1,400,000 patients are diagnosed with lupus in the U.S. In such patients, the attack of the individual's immune system against an array of targets, including the kidney, joints and brain, frequently leads to severe morbidities, including kidney failure.
"Having recently demonstrated the potent, anti-complement and anti- inflammatory activity of our shorter acting C5 Inhibitor in acute cardiovascular patients, we are enthused to initiate clinical development of our longer acting C5 Inhibitor in patients suffering from Systemic Lupus," said Leonard Bell, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Alexion. "Moreover, with our announcement at the end of last month of the filing of an IND for 5G1.1
in the treatment of patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, the initiation of studies in Lupus patients will represent Alexion's third clinical development program and the second clinical program targeting the treatment of autoimmune disorders."
Alexion's C5 inhibitors (5G1.1 and 5G1.1-SC) are specific and potent recombinant drugs which are designed to intervene in the complement cascade. The Company believes that these proprietary C5 Inhibitors intervene at an optimal point which generally preserves the normal disease-preventing functions of complement proteins while generally inhibiting the disease- causing actions. In preclinical studies, Alexion's C5 Inhibitors not only improved
survival and reduced kidney damage in models of lupus but also reduced clinical symptoms and disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis. 5G1.1-SC, the Company's shorter acting C5 Inhibitor which has reached Phase II in clinical development is a novel, bacterially produced, humanized single chain antibody, specifically designed to rapidly penetrate tissue and limit inflammation. In clinical studies in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass,
5G1.1-SC was demonstrated to provide potent anti-complement and anti- inflammatory activity. Further, in preclinical studies presented at the American College of Cardiology, Alexion's C5 Inhibitors were demonstrated to substantially reduce the myocardial infarction resulting from coronary ischemia.
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is engaged in the development of selective immunotherapeutic drugs that generally are designed to inhibit the disease-causing segments of the immune system while preserving the disease-preventing aspects of the immune system. The Company is developing three technology platforms: C5 Complement Inhibitors and Apogen T-Cell Therapeutics which together target severe cardiovascular and autoimmune
disorders; and xenografts for organ transplants.
This news release contains forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain factors which may cause Alexion's plans to differ or results to vary from those expected including unexpected preclinical or clinical results, the need for additional research and testing, delays in manufacturing, access to capital and funding, delays in development of commercial relationships and a variety of risks set forth from time to time in Alexion's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risks discussed in Alexion's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 31, 1997. Alexion undertakes no obligation to publicly release results of any of these forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
SOURCE Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
