This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Dignan,

I'm losing track of all these drugs - not sure if this one has been posted before.

Ian

Preclinical studies have produced data which supports the potential of Micromet's investigational human antibody MT203 for the treatment of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
The study, published in Molecular Immunology, describes one of the first human antibodies potently neutralizing human GM-CSF.

GM-CSF is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine responsible for the proliferation, activation, and survival of a host of immune cells, which play pivotal roles in the development and progression of inflammatory diseases.

A significant benefit of neutralizing GM-CSF has been shown in animal models for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and psoriasis.

Results from in-vitro studies demonstrate that MT203 binds human GM-CSF with low picomolar affinity and potently prevents GM-CSF-induced proliferation as well as production of the chemokine IL-8.

Moreover, the human antibody was observed to significantly reduce both the activation and survival of human eosinophils, which are involved in the development of a number of inflammatory lung diseases. MT203 retained full neutralizing activity after 5 days in human serum at 37C.

"By neutralizing GM-CSF, we believe we have tapped a novel pharmaceutical target for the potential treatment of patients with inflammatory diseases," commented Patrick Baeuerle, chief scientific officer of Micromet.

Source: Datamonitor

It's in there, but thanks for the info anyhow.