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Biotech / Medical : Indications -- Lupus/Nephritis -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: keokalani'nui who wrote (49)	1/9/2003 10:34:55 AM
From: keokalani'nui	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 95

ABGX/CRGN Mab. CuraGen and Abgenix Announce Progress in Antibody Alliance and Sign New Agreement for Antibody Production Thursday January 9, 6:30 am ET - CuraGen Selects Fully-Human Monoclonal Antibody CR002 as a Candidate for Treating Kidney Disease - - Abgenix to Manufacture CR002 in its New Antibody Production Facility - NEW HAVEN, Conn., and FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CuraGen Corporation (Nasdaq: CRGN - News), a genomics-based pharmaceutical company, and Abgenix, Inc. (Nasdaq: ABGX - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on antibody therapeutics, today announced new developments in their ongoing antibody discovery and development alliance. CuraGen and Abgenix scientists have successfully developed a fully human monoclonal antibody (CR002) that is being investigated as a treatment for IgA nephropathy, a form of glomerulonephritis (kidney inflammation) that may lead to renal failure and the need for dialysis treatments. CuraGen has selected this antibody drug candidate for development and has the right to develop this candidate across all disease areas. In addition, CuraGen is further exploring the utility of this antibody as a treatment for other forms of glomerulonephritis, including nephritis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and diabetic nephropathy. SNIP CuraGen's CR002 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes and blocks the active form of PDGF-D, a naturally occurring protein and potent stimulator of mesangial cell growth, which is an underlying cause of glomerulonephritis. Developing a fully human antibody that blocks the PDGF-D protein and prevents mesangial cell growth is an important step towards creating a therapeutic to address the molecular basis of this disease. The CR002 antibody may also be used to develop a diagnostic test to accompany the antibody therapeutic. Measuring levels of PDGF-D in the bloodstream may enable physicians to more accurately determine if mesangial cell growth is the underlying cause of glomerulonephritis. By developing a diagnostic test in conjunction with the antibody therapeutic, physicians can use such a test to diagnose the disease with greater certainty and identify those specific patients that would benefit the most from receiving the antibody therapeutic. Producing pharmaceuticals in conjunction with appropriate diagnostic tools is an important step toward developing safer, more effective drugs to treat the most appropriate patients. IgA nephropathy, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) nephropathy, and diabetic nephropathy are believed to affect approximately 10 million patients worldwide. Patients can suffer from various degrees of glomerulonephritis that range from needing little or no disease therapy to medical emergencies requiring urgent diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. Severe glomerulonephritis can be painful, affects a patient's quality of life, and can lead to dialysis, renal failure, and may ultimately lead to kidney transplantation. Currently, there is no adequate treatment for glomerulonephritis and most existing approaches are focused on reducing inflammation and managing the pain associated with the disease. ______________________________-