Alexion says anti-CD200 antibody may suppress tumor growth

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., June 6 - Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the results of a new study showing that tumor growth in one of the most common types of leukemia can potentially be suppressed by inhibiting a cell surface protein molecule - CD200 - with a novel humanized anti-CD200 antibody that blocks the binding of CD200 to its receptor.

Researchers at AAT, Alexion's wholly owned subsidiary, discovered that cancer cells from about 80 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) uniformly showed levels of CD200 to be two to five times higher than that of normal B cells.

The interaction of CD200 with its receptor on human peripheral blood lymphocytes is believed to down-regulate the human immune system, enabling tumors to evade the body's immune surveillance system by inhibiting the ability of human lymphocytes to eradicate the tumor, according to a news release.

In two separate animal models of human CLL, administration of the humanized anti-CD200 antibody stimulated engrafted human immune cells to attack the CD200 expressing human tumor resulting in nearly complete inhibition of tumor growth over the course of the studies, the release said.

Alexion is a biotechnology company located in Cheshire, Conn.

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