IQ Corporation (IQC), a biopharmaceutical company based in The Netherlands, and the U.S. Navy Medical Research Center (NMRC) have entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop fully human monoclonal antibodies against biological threat agents. The focus of the CRADA will be on the drug development of Anthraxumab™, IQC's human antibody against the anthrax toxin, and on the generation of new human monoclonal antibodies against other biological threat agents, such as the botulism toxin.
According to a Centers for Disease Control special report, anthrax is one of two agents with the greatest potential for mass casualties and civil disruption.
"From the aftermath of the anthrax attacks in October 2001, we have learned that, on top of the existing antibiotics treatment, there is a need for anthrax-toxin-neutralizing therapeutic agents," said Herman Groen, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of IQ Corporation. According to Groen, an effective antibiotic will only kill the bacteria but will not neutralize the deadly toxin. For the treatment to be most successful, both antibiotics and toxin-neutralizing therapy should be applied after anthrax exposure. "IQC's Anthraxumab is an ideal candidate for such treatment, and this CRADA confirms that the U.S. Navy shares our interest in seeing this antibody developed into a drug," he said.
According to Roland Lageveen, Ph.D., CEO of IQ Corporation, the development of Anthraxumab began in early 2001 as a collaboration between IQ Corporation, the Defense Science Technologies Laboratories of Porton Down, England, and the U.S. NMRC, with funding provided by IQC, and the Dutch and Italian Ministries of Defense. "The signing of this contract allows for the further development of Anthraxumab and the generation of other new antibodies for biodefense. This is a recognition of IQC¹s technology and an acknowledgement that we are global partners in the battle against bioterrorism and biological warfare."
Dr. Les Baillie, head of the Biodefense Vaccines department of the Biological Defense Research Directorate of the NMRC said, "IQC's technology offers the ability to treat individuals who are not protected by vaccination. We are encouraged by the performance of IQC's Anthraxumab and we are keen on seeing it developed into a drug for anthrax treatment. In addition, the technology has enormous potential for other biodefense applications."
According to IQ Corporation, "The advantage of using human monoclonal antibodies against anthrax is in their ability to grant instant protection, which is why we call our antibodies 'Immunity from a Vial™'. They are effective both pre- and post-exposure, and they are equally effective against strains genetically engineered to be resistant to multiple antibiotics. This type of therapy can effectively be limited to only those who have been, are suspected to have been, or are at risk of becoming exposed to an agent. This removes the need for costly mass vaccination programs and eliminates large-scale, vaccination-associated health risks."
Additional studies under the terms of the CRADA involve the development of fully human monoclonal antibodies recognizing Botulinum toxins A and B, which cause botulism in humans.
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