Excelimmune presents positive results for HRPA therapy against MRSA infections

Sep 14 2010

Excelimmune, Inc. announced positive results from preclinical studies evaluating the efficacy of its human recombinant polyclonal antibody (HRPA) therapy against infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The results were presented in a poster session at the 50^th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC). The study demonstrated full immune protection against an otherwise 100% lethal dose of MRSA, and this result was achieved at an antibody concentration far lower than that typically required for monoclonal antibodies. MRSA is currently a leading cause of death due to infectious disease in the United States, surpassing deaths from HIV/AIDS-related infections and tuberculosis combined.

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Excelimmune is generating a HRPA therapy against S. aureus by cloning antibodies from many different individuals who have been naturally exposed to a variety of S. aureus strains, including MRSA, from the environment. These efforts may result in a broad-spectrum therapeutic with neutralizing activity against multiple S. aureus antigens.

"The study represents an important proof-of-principle for Excelimmune's unique approach," said Quinton Zondervan, Chief Executive Officer. "Excelimmune seeks to address a major unmet need in treating drug-resistant bacterial infections by creating a diverse mixture of cloned human antibodies that target the disease agent. We are actively optimizing the formulation of our proprietary antibody composition against a diversity of S. aureus strains, including MRSA."

Vincent Coljee, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Excelimmune, added, "Excelimmune's HRPA technology is designed to fill the gap between monoclonal antibodies and IVIG therapeutics by harnessing the synergistic action of multiple antibodies using a production process that overcomes the inherent supply and safety limitations of blood-derived immunoglobulin products. HRPA therapeutics can be manufactured using recombinant techniques outside of the human body. Furthermore, by being fully human, HRPA therapeutics are less likely to cause side effects than artificially constructed, humanized or animal-derived antibodies."