Released on = August 1, 2006, 3:16 am

Press Release Author = La Merie Business Intelligence

Industry = Biotech

Press Release Summary = The US$ 7.6 bln market of TNF-antagonists attracts numerous
follow-on compounds including improved TNF-antagonists and molecules originating
from new technologies

Press Release Body = BARCELONA, Spain | Aug 01, 2006 | The Business Intelligence
firm La Merie S.L. reported today that the huge market of US$ 7.6 bln in 2005 and
the clinical validation of the target in many inflammatory indications has filled
the pipeline of follow-on TNF-antagonists. Sales of the three marketed TNF
antagonists etanercept, infliximab and adalimumab grew by 42, 18 and 64 %,
respectively, in 2005 and are expected to further grow due to the still expanding
number of approved clinical indications of inflammatory diseases including
rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases. At least six follow-on TNF
antagonists are in clinical development and more than 16 projects in preclinical
stages. Apart from antibody-based constructs, other technologies such as small
molecules, vaccines, proteins, gene therapy, RNAi make use of the validated target
in an attractive market to validate their technology at low development risk. These
results and more were found in a competitor analysis conducted by La Merie Business
Intelligence. The findings of the search can be acquired at www.pipelinereview.com,
La Merie's News Center and Online Store.

The range of indications for which at least one of the three branded TNF antagonists
obtained approval ranges from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile RA, psoriatic
arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease (CD), pediatric CD, ulcerative
colitis and psoriasis. Further inflammatory indications such as asthma are under
evaluation. The most advanced clinical stage follow-on TNF-antagonist are human or
humanized/optimized antibodies in order to reduce the immunogenicity risk seen with
chimeric molecules. Small molecules as selective or dual TNF antagonists also have
reached clinical evaluation.

The preclinical pipeline of TNF antagonists consists of molecules derived from new
technologies or molecules exploring other strategies such as vaccination or oral
delivery. Engineered proteins and antibodies make up most of the pipeline attempting
to develop and validate the respective technology by using a validated target in an
attractive market.


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information visit www.lamerie.com.

SOURCE: La Merie Business Intelligence



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