Immunomedics, Inc. (NASDAQ:IMMU) has acquired a new patent, valid until February 2034, concerning “Methods of Treating Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis Using Chimeric and Humanized Anti-Histone Antibodies”. The company plans to use the antibodies in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In particular, the drug would be targeted at a rapidly progressive autoimmune disease of the kidney, which proves to be fatal if untreated.
Histones are naturally produced by the body, into the blood, through damaged and activated cells. Added to this, they also serve several nuclear functions and also as structure components of chromatin. Immunomedics aims to use these properties, to treat infectious diseases and inflammatory disorders.
This is the third patent, approved for the company this month. The other two are titled “Interferon –Lambda Antibody Complexes”, set to expire on April 8, 2030 and “Combining Radioimmunotherapy and Antibody Drug Conjugates” (ADC). The former has been handed over to Immunomedics majority-owned subsidiary, IBC Pharmaceuticals. So far the Lambda antibodies have resulted in tumor death, in animal subjects, apart from initiating adaptive immune responses.
The ADC method plans to treat pancreatic cancer in patients, through radio-labeled antibodies, coupled with ADCs. The therapy has already been awarded the designation of a breakthrough therapy, by the FDA.
Immunomedics is expected to present at the Cowen and Company 36th Annual Healthcare Conference, to be held on March 9, 2016. The presentation is scheduled to start at 10am, in Boston. Furthermore, the company had recently announced the termination of a licensing agreement, regarding epratuzumab. As per the agreement, the two companies had been working together, on the development of the drug, targeted at all non-cancer indications worldwide. The drug is currently in the phase-3 of its clinical trials in pediatric patients, with leukemia. With the termination of the agreement, Immunomedics has planned to maximize the value of the drug, by use in autoimmune diseases as well as oncology.
Immunomedics, Inc. (NASDAQ:IMMU) closed at a share price of $2.51, after losing 4.2% of its value, during the March 8 session.
