CardioVax Announces Name Change to Abcentra
Reflects Strategic Commitment to a Novel Drug Target for Inflammatory Disease
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CardioVax, a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibody therapeutics for inflammatory diseases, announced today that it has changed its name to Abcentra. The company targets oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and its associated protein, apolipoproteinB-100 (apoB-100), as a key mediator of inflammation. The company's new name, Abcentra is an acronym for "ApoB-100 and Related Antibodies." The name change reflects the company's broader commitment in developing novel therapies for inflammatory disease and comes with a new website, www.abcentra.com.
"Abcentra's technology is focused on transforming immunomodulating therapy to improve the lives of patients with serious unmet medical needs," stated Bert Liang, MD, PhD, CEO of Abcentra. "By targeting oxLDL, we ultimately hope to provide more focused suppression of inflammation in inflammatory diseases, while avoiding the side effects associated with systemic immunomodulating drugs."
Historically, immunomodulating biological drugs have been successful in targeting key systemic mediators of inflammation and treating serious inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. However, side effects including serious infections and cancers have limited the use of these drugs. In comparison, targeting oxLDL affords the opportunity to attack a critical mediator of inflammation without suppression of normal immune system function. By focusing on oxLDL, Abcentra is looking to solve the limitations of current immunomodulating drugs as it relates to safety and side effects, and thereby dramatically increase the number of patients that could benefit from inflammation therapies.
Abcentra's lead candidate, orticumab, is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting oxLDL whose anti-inflammatory mechanism reduces oxLDL-related macrophage and other activities. Administered to over 200 patients, orticumab has completed three clinical trials and demonstrated a compelling safety profile with no drug-related serious adverse events. Orticumab is currently in clinical development in multiple indications, including plaque psoriasis and accelerated atherosclerosis in rheumatology patients. Additionally, preclinical programs with orticumab and other candidates are focused on lowering lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], an inherited risk factor for multiple cardiovascular diseases including aortic valve stenosis. Abcentra's pipeline includes other novel antibodies and vaccines that target oxLDL and apoB-100.
"Abcentra signals a new direction and a significant step in the company's evolution," stated Dr. Liang. "We have expanded our management team, refined our product pipeline and initiated preparations for several new clinical trials. In addition to our internal development, we are identifying licensing opportunities with leading pharmaceutical companies."
About Abcentra
Abcentra is a clinical-stage biopharma company, developing next-generation biological drugs for inflammatory disease. Founded by a group of renowned scientists and physicians, Abcentra is a leader in the development of biological drugs that target oxidized LDL (oxLDL), a specific mediator of inflammation in a variety of inflammatory diseases. The company's lead candidate, orticumab, is being developed to treat accelerated atherosclerosis and plaque psoriasis. The company has a broad, exclusive worldwide patent portfolio and IP rights around a novel mechanism in inflammation. For more information visit www.abcentra.com.
SOURCE Abcentra
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