CRUCELL LAUNCHING RABIES ANTIBODY RESEARCH PROGRAM

Dutch biotechnology company Crucell N.V. announced plans for the clinical development of its combination of two human monoclonal antibodies against rabies, discovered last year using MAbstract technology. The findings offer the potential for an innovative and potent replacement for outdated serum products, which are currently still in use for the treatment of rabies.

Lethal rabies is prevented by post-exposure prophylaxis via the combined administration of a rabies vaccine and rabies immune globulin (RIG) following the bite of a rabid dog. RIG, derived from human or horse blood, is in short supply and carries certain safety risks. Each year approximately 55 thousand people die of rabies because of insufficient care or lack of appropriate treatment.

The new antibody product was discovered by Crucell scientists and characterized in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and the Rabies Section of the CDC's Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases. Further details regarding product design and evaluations will be presented July 26 at the International Union of Microbiological Sciences conference in San Francisco.