Cellmid

Antibodies

Medical Therapies' asset portfolio includes more than 130 anti-midkine antibodies as well as antisense which have been demonstrated to have potential application in inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and certain cancers.

Mulitple Sclerosis

Some 3 million people suffer from multiple sclerosis worldwide with almost one third of them not responding to current treatments. Several disease modifying agents are available that aim to slow progression of physical disability and reduce the number of relapses. The global market for treating multiple sclerosis was $4.9 billion in 2006.

Inhibition of midkine may provide an effective therapeutic strategy against multiple sclerosis. Mice that do not have midkine genes (MK -/-) do not develop severe symptoms in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

Figure 5. MK-/- mice show delay in disease onset and reduction in disease severity after immunisation with MOG35-55.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Current treatments of rhematoid arthritis include NSAIDs, corticosteroids, viscosupplements (for joints), anti-TNF, anti-IL-1 and anti-IL-2 treatments. In 2006 global revenue from the main prescription anti-inflammatory drugs including NSAIDs, anti-rheumatic corticosteroid combinations and specific anti-rheumatics was ~ $16bn.

Preclinical data supports midkine as a potential target for treating rheumatoid arthritis. In early validation studies MK-/- mice did not develop symptoms in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis compared to 14% for mice that have midkine genes. This suggests that an anti-midkine therapy may be useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, particularly if used during remission periods to prevent onset.

Figure 6. Increased levels of Midkine detected in more severe cases of RA patients

Figure 7. Experimental model of rheumatoid arthritis