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Biotech / Medical : MEDX ... anybody following? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Icebrg who wrote (778)	12/18/2003 8:21:12 AM
From: Icebrg	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2240

Medarex Announces Commencement of Phase I Clinical Trial in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis by FibroGen Thursday December 18, 8:01 am ET 15th UltiMAb(TM) Product in the Clinic PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Medarex, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEDX - News) today announced that its licensee, FibroGen, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, has commenced a Phase I clinical trial of a fully human antibody therapeutic in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The product candidate is FibroGen's lead anti-CTGF (connective tissue growth factor) therapeutic antibody. The antibody was created using Medarex's UltiMAb Human Antibody Development System® and is the 15th UltiMAb(TM) product for which human clinical trials are underway or regulatory applications have been submitted for such trials. Medarex could receive milestone payments and royalties on commercial sales of any products that may result from this antibody. "We are excited to see this first application of a human antibody developed with the UltiMAb(TM) System in the field of fibrotic diseases," said Donald L. Drakeman, President and CEO of Medarex. "This indication helps to demonstrate the potential broad application of human antibodies as therapeutic agents that we believe could provide clinical benefit in a wide range of human diseases." About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a life-threatening lung disease characterized by a progressive scarring of the lungs that hinders oxygen uptake. The cause of IPF is not known. As scarring progresses, patients with IPF experience shortness of breath and difficulty with performing routine functions, such as walking and talking. The prevalence of IPF has been estimated to be over 50,000 cases in the U.S., with an annual incidence of 15,000. There are no FDA-approved treatments for IPF, and approximately two- thirds of patients die within five years after diagnosis. Patients are typically treated with anti-inflammatory agents; however, none have been clinically proven to improve survival or quality of life for patients with IPF.