Micromet and Nycomed Initiate Formal Preclinical Antibody Studies

Micromet and Nycomed have initiated formal preclinical safety studies for the anti-GM-CSF human antibody MT203. Micromet received $775,000 from Nycomed for the achievement of this milestone.

Under a 2007 agreement between the two companies, Micromet and Nycomed develop MT203, a fully human anti-GM-CSF antibody that may be useful for the treatment of various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Preclinical studies support MT203′s development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and several other indications, including multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Anders Ullman, executive vice president R&D at Nycomed, said: “Within our partnership, Micromet has continued to deliver encouraging data on MT203 related to the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. MT203 represents an important asset in our early stage pipeline.”