Medarex (MEDX) and PharmAthene Announce Pilot Study For Anthrax Monoclonal Antibody Valortim

March 29, 2007 7:46 AM EDT

Medarex, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEDX) and PharmAthene, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to the development of biodefense countermeasures, announced that Valortim, a fully human monoclonal antibody product candidate being developed for the prevention and treatment of anthrax infection, has been shown to have a therapeutic effect in a new primate model of established inhalation anthrax infection.

The new model, which is being developed at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), seeks to improve on existing therapeutic models for anthrax by closely monitoring the disease process to establish the presence of anthrax bacteremia and determine the optimal window for therapeutic intervention.

In the pilot study conducted at USAMRIID, adult African Green monkeys were exposed to aerosolized anthrax spores and blood samples were collected at regular intervals beginning 24 hours post-exposure. The samples were closely monitored for evidence of bacteremia both by culture and by use of a rapid assay designed to detect protective antigen. Protective antigen is one of the toxins produced by B. anthracis and its presence in the blood is being evaluated as a surrogate marker for symptomatic anthrax disease. Once bacteremia was detected by the rapid assay, animals were administered either Valortim or saline (control) by intravenous injection. In the study, 50% of the Valortim-treated animals survived compared to none of the saline-treated animals.

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