Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0038454 (stroke)
 147,016 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Alexion and Procter & Gamble (P&G) are developing pexelizumab (h5G1.1-SC), a short-acting, recombinant complement C5 inhibitor for the potential treatment of complications of cardiovascular surgery, such as complement activation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) procedures, for which it has completed phase II trials [275707]. By November 2001, the companies were also conducting two phase II trials for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (MI) and by March 2002, patient accrual in the first of these MI trials (COMPLY) had been completed [429171], [443067]. In April 2002, accrual in the second MI trial (COMMA) was also completed [446377]. Results from the MI trials had been expected in the first half of 2002 [435888]. By January 2002, pivotal phase III trials had been initiated in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) with CPB [435058]. The compound may also have potential in the treatment of stroke [188595]. In September 2000, the US FDA granted Alexion Fast Track status for pexelizumab for CPB patients [381531]. The company is collaborating with P&G to develop and commercialize this inhibitor drug for patients undergoing CPB during CABG [313015]. In December 2001, the terms of the collaboration were altered and as a result Alexion was to play an increased role in the development and marketing of pexelizumab in the US [433296]. Alexion licensed the complement protein C5 technology from Enzon Inc, developed during Enzon's short chain antigen binding (SCA) proteins program, in May 1996 [352743]. Analysts at US Bancorp Piper Jaffray predicted in January 2002 that pexelizumab has potential peak sales of US $350 million. At this time, approval for the CPB indication was expected in the US in the second half of 2004, and sales in 2005 were expected to reach US $50 million, rising to US $227 million in 2008. In the rest of the world, CPB approvals were expected to begin in the second half of 2005. Sales in 2006 were expected to reach US $35 million, rising to US $110 million in 2008 [438051].
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PMID:Pexelizumab Alexion. 1213 6

Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies that are identical because they were produced by one type of immune cell, all clones of a single parent cell. This has become an important tool in biochemistry, molecular biology and medicine. The role of complement system in inflammation has been well established. Inflammation is a cornerstone of the post-myocardial infarction. Also, during a heart bypass procedure, the "complement activation" causes an inflammatory response that can lead to side effects such as chest pain, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or death. One such agent which causes complement inhibition is pexelizumab. Pexelizumab (Alexion Pharmaceuticals), a recombinant humanized single chain monoclonal antibody to C5, blocks the conversion of C5 to C5a and C5b-9. Pexelizumab is an Alexion-engineered monoclonal antibody fragment designed to inhibit complement-mediated tissue damage associated with reperfusion injury and inflammation that occurs during open heart surgery. Recent Phase III trials have evaluated the role of pexelizumab in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery and also in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. In the ischemia/reperfusion setting of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, pexelizumab appears to reduce cardiac enzyme release and possibly mortality. Pexelizumab can also be used as adjunctive therapy to fibrinolysis and primary percutaneous coronary intervention. If approved, pexelizumab would represent not only the first of a new class of therapeutics called terminal complement inhibitors for the reduction of death and peri-operative myocardial infarction in patients undergoing CABG-CPB surgery but also a new approach to improving outcomes for patients undergoing CABG surgery. Present article also includes relevant patents on the topic.
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PMID:Pexelizumab and its role in the treatment of myocardial infarction and in coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a review. 1853 66

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is often encountered in children with acute kidney injury. Besides the well-known shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-associated HUS, atypical HUS (aHUS) caused by genetic complement dysregulation has been studied recently. aHUS is a rare, chronic, and devastating disorder that progressively damages systemic organs, resulting in stroke, end-stage renal disease, and death. The traditional treatment for aHUS is mainly plasmapheresis or plasma infusion; however, many children with aHUS will progress to chronic kidney disease despite plasma therapy. Eculizumab is a newly developed biologic that blocks the terminal complement pathway and has been successfully used in the treatment of aHUS. Currently, several guidelines for aHUS, including the Korean guideline, recommend eculizumab as the first-line therapy in children with aHUS. Moreover, life-long eculizumab therapy is generally recommended. Further studies on discontinuation of eculizumab are needed.
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PMID:Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome and eculizumab therapy in children. 2956 42