Therapeutic Areas

INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, naturally elicit strong immune responses. Although these responses may not be sufficient in all people to resist disease — either because the virus overwhelms the immune system or mutates to escape it — Theraclone’s I-STAR™ Technology allows us to identify rare antibodies that could be therapeutically effective.

Our most advanced development program in infectious disease is focused on novel antibodies to fight pandemic and severe seasonal influenza.

Seasonal influenza results in over 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths per year in the United States alone. The toll from a pandemic outbreak could be much higher. Because the virus mutates rapidly, new vaccines must be developed and administered each year and these vaccines are not always effective. Furthermore, strains of influenza have emerged that are resistant to the currently available therapies (e.g. Tamiflu, Symmetrel).

We are currently studying novel antibodies which target elements of the Influenza A virus that are common to all strains. We believe that a therapy developed using these antibodies may be highly effective in treating or preventing influenza.

INFLAMMATION AND AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS

Monoclonal antibodies are also promising candidates for treating chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. In patients with these conditions, healthy cells in the skin, joints and other organs are attacked by overactive immune cells which are stimulated and supported by cytokines and pro-inflammatory factors.

By discovering antibody candidates that block these pro-inflammatory factors, we hope to develop promising new therapies that reduce the effects or slow the progression of these chronic inflammatory diseases.

Theraclone currently has discovery-stage programs targeting the following pro-inflammatory factors with human antibodies: