Biotech Values

[DonShimoda]

XOMA -- IL-1B has emerged as a therapeutic target (See IL-1 targeted therapies http://bit.ly/VqAeRv and http://bit.ly/TCP88Q ) for an expanding number of systemic and local inflammatory conditions called autoinflammatory diseases. For these, neutralization of IL-1B results in a rapid and sustained reduction in disease severity. Treatment for autoimmune diseases often includes immunosuppressive drugs whereas neutralization of IL-1B is mostly anti-inflammatory. Although some autoinflammatory diseases are due to gain-of-function mutations for caspase-1 activity, common diseases such as gout, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, recurrent pericarditis, rheumatoid arthritis, and smoldering myeloma also are responsive to IL-1B neutralization. This review summarizes acute and chronic inflammatory diseases that are treated by reducing IL-1B activity and proposes that disease severity is affected by the anti-inflammatory members of the IL-1 family of ligands and receptors.
http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/117/14/3720.abstract