XOMA to Webcast Analyst and Investor Event 'Interleukin-1 Blockers: Unlocking Their Potential in Diabetes and Beyond' On September 25
BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 22, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XOMA Ltd. (Nasdaq:XOMA), a leader in the discovery and development of antibody therapeutics, announced today that the company will host a live web cast of its analyst and investor event on September 25, 2008 at 5:00 PM Eastern.
The event, titled "Interleukin-1 Blockers: Unlocking Their Potential in Diabetes and Beyond," will feature guest speakers Charles A. Dinarello, M.D. and Marc Y. Donath, M.D., who will discuss Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and its role in multiple inflammatory diseases.
The speakers will also highlight interim data from two Phase 1 studies of XOMA 052, an anti-IL-1 beta antibody, in type 2 diabetes. The data were originally presented during the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual conference on September 8.
Dr. Dinarello, Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, is a pioneer in the field of IL-1 research. Dr. Dinarello began his investigations of IL-1 at the National Institutes of Health and was the first to purify and clone IL-1 with success. During more than 35 years of research on the cytokine and its central role in inflammation, Dr. Dinarello has published over 500 original research articles and 250 reviews and book chapters on IL-1, tumor necrosis factor and related cytokines.
Dr. Donath, Professor of Medicine at the University Hospital of Zurich, led the research team that first demonstrated the clinical benefits of IL-1 antagonism for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and introduced a novel, potentially disease-modifying therapeutic approach to the epidemic disease. The clinical findings of Dr. Donath and his colleagues, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April of 2007, point to the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes and identify IL-1 as a new therapeutic target for protecting insulin-producing cells from the functional loss caused by elevated blood sugar levels in diabetes patients. In September of 2008, Dr. Donath was awarded the peer-reviewed Novartis Prize for Diabetes for his related research contributions. In addition, Dr. Donath is the principal investigator in the Swiss clinical trial of XOMA 052 in Type 2 diabetes and recently presented the interim analysis of data from studies of XOMA 052 at the meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
The event will also feature presentations by Steven Engle, XOMA's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Alan Solinger, M.D., XOMA's Vice President of Clinical Immunology.
A webcast of the presentation will be available live on the XOMA website at http://investors.xoma.com/events.cfm. An archived version of the webcast will be available for 30 days following the presentation.
About XOMA
XOMA discovers, develops and manufactures therapeutic antibody agents designed to treat inflammatory, autoimmune, infectious and cancerous diseases and is engaged in more than 16 active development projects. The Company's expanding pipeline includes XOMA 052, an anti-IL-1beta antibody, and XOMA 629, a synthetic antimicrobial peptide compound derived from bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein.
XOMA's proprietary development pipeline is primarily funded by multiple revenue streams resulting from the licensing of its antibody technologies, product royalties, development collaborations, and biodefense contracts. XOMA's technologies and experienced team have contributed to the success of marketed antibody products, including RAPTIVA(r) (efalizumab) for chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, LUCENTIS(r) (ranibizumab injection) for wet age-related macular degeneration and CIMZIA(r) (certolizumab pegol) for Crohn's disease.
The Company has a premier antibody discovery and development platform that incorporates leading antibody phage display libraries and XOMA's proprietary Human Engineering(tm) and bacterial cell expression technologies. Bacterial cell expression is a key breakthrough biotechnology for the discovery and manufacturing of antibodies and other proteins. As a result, more than 50 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have signed BCE licenses.
In addition to developing its own products, XOMA develops products with premier pharmaceutical companies including Novartis AG, Schering-Plough Research Institute and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. XOMA has a fully integrated product development infrastructure, extending from pre-clinical science to approval, and a team of 330 employees at its Berkeley location. For more information, please visit http://www.xoma.com.
Certain statements contained herein concerning product development and other similar matters or that otherwise relate to future periods are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on assumptions that may not prove accurate. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated due to certain risks inherent in the biotechnology industry and for companies engaged in the development of new products in a regulated market. These risks, including those related to the results of discovery research and preclinical testing; the timing or results of pending and future clinical trials (including the design and progress of clinical trials; safety and efficacy of the products being tested; action, inaction or delay by the FDA, European or other regulators or their advisory bodies; and analysis or interpretation by, or submission to, these entities or others of scientific data); uncertainties regarding the status of biotechnology patents; uncertainties as to the cost of protecting intellectual property; changes in the status of the existing collaborative and licensing relationships; the ability of collaborators, licensees and other third parties to meet their obligations; market demand for products; scale up and marketing capabilities; competition; international operations; share price volatility; XOMA's financing needs and opportunities and risks associated with XOMA's status as a Bermuda company, are described in more detail in XOMA's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and in other SEC filings. Consider such risks carefully in considering XOMA's prospects.
CONTACT: XOMA
Company Contact:
Greg Mann
510-204-7270
mann@xoma.com
Porter Novelli Life Sciences
Media & Investors Contact:
Carolyn Hawley
619-849-5375
chawley@pnlifesciences.com
Released September 22, 2008