AI
Thursday, August 27, 2009 5:36:51 AM
IMMU - Immunomedics drug shows promise for lupus !
UPDATE 2-UCB, Immunomedics drug shows promise for lupus
Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:04am EDT
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINLR59606920090827?rpc=44
* Positive Phase IIb results for UCB, Immunomedics drug
* Treatment advantage of epratuzumab vs placebo 24.9 pct
* Analysts say result promising but drug still high risk
* UCB shares up 2.5 percent
(Adds analyst comments)
By Anne Jolis and Ben Hirschler
BRUSSELS/LONDON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - An experimental lupus medicine from Belgium's UCB (UCB.BR) and U.S. biotech company Immunomedics (IMMU.O) proved effective in mid-stage tests, marking a fresh advance in finding new drugs for the disease.
The treatment advantage of epratuzumab over placebo reached 24.9 percent after 12 weeks of therapy in a Phase IIb clinical trial involving 227 patients, the two companies said on Thursday.
The study analysed the drug's impact on a number of measures of disease activity.
The result comes just five weeks after Human Genome Sciences (HGSI.O) reported its lupus drug Benlysta, which it has partnered with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L), succeeded in a late-stage Phase III trial, sending Human Genome shares soaring.
Benlysta was the first drug ever to succeed in Phase III trials against lupus.
Analysts at Jefferies said the headline data for UCB and Immunomedics' rival product was encouraging but, given the high failure rate of lupus drugs, they remained cautious. The brokerage is retaining its conservative $150 million peak sales and 30 percent likelihood of success until full details of the Phase IIb results are released.
Epratuzumab is an antibody-based drug that was licensed to UCB by Immunomedics for all autoimmune disease indications in 2006.
It is the most advanced product in UCB's immunology disease pipeline and is significant for the Belgian group as it increases its focus on biotech medicines. Shares in UCB rose 2.5 percent in early trade on Thursday.
UCB and Immunomedics said in-depth analysis of the data was now ongoing in preparation for a final-phase Phase III programme.
UPDATE 2-UCB, Immunomedics drug shows promise for lupus
Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:04am EDT
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINLR59606920090827?rpc=44
* Positive Phase IIb results for UCB, Immunomedics drug
* Treatment advantage of epratuzumab vs placebo 24.9 pct
* Analysts say result promising but drug still high risk
* UCB shares up 2.5 percent
(Adds analyst comments)
By Anne Jolis and Ben Hirschler
BRUSSELS/LONDON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - An experimental lupus medicine from Belgium's UCB (UCB.BR) and U.S. biotech company Immunomedics (IMMU.O) proved effective in mid-stage tests, marking a fresh advance in finding new drugs for the disease.
The treatment advantage of epratuzumab over placebo reached 24.9 percent after 12 weeks of therapy in a Phase IIb clinical trial involving 227 patients, the two companies said on Thursday.
The study analysed the drug's impact on a number of measures of disease activity.
The result comes just five weeks after Human Genome Sciences (HGSI.O) reported its lupus drug Benlysta, which it has partnered with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L), succeeded in a late-stage Phase III trial, sending Human Genome shares soaring.
Benlysta was the first drug ever to succeed in Phase III trials against lupus.
Analysts at Jefferies said the headline data for UCB and Immunomedics' rival product was encouraging but, given the high failure rate of lupus drugs, they remained cautious. The brokerage is retaining its conservative $150 million peak sales and 30 percent likelihood of success until full details of the Phase IIb results are released.
Epratuzumab is an antibody-based drug that was licensed to UCB by Immunomedics for all autoimmune disease indications in 2006.
It is the most advanced product in UCB's immunology disease pipeline and is significant for the Belgian group as it increases its focus on biotech medicines. Shares in UCB rose 2.5 percent in early trade on Thursday.
UCB and Immunomedics said in-depth analysis of the data was now ongoing in preparation for a final-phase Phase III programme.
posts are IMHO // either news - with LINK
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