Promising Data ATIR Studies Presented by NIH Inv...( AMSTERDAM November 28 /- Kiadis P...)

AMSTERDAM, November 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Kiadis Pharma announced today the presentation of the results obtained so far in the physician initiated study led by Dr. Stephan Mielke* and Dr. John Barrett* of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) a department of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Kiadis' lead product ATIR at the AABB annual meeting & TXPO 2007 in Anaheim, California.

According to the NHLBI investigators the challenge in the field of allogeneic bone marrow transplantations lies with disease control, Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD) control and donor availability. Doctors Barrett and Mielke have focused on controlling GvHD whilst sparing the Graft versus Leukemia (GvL) effect and also on increasing donor availability.

The investigators have published the preclinical data showing promising results with Kiadis Pharma's ATIR in eliminating alloreactive T cells from donor grafts (Mielke et al. Blood, 2007). These results have led to the start of a phase II study with ATIR by the NHLBI. This trial is designed to demonstrate that ATIR treatment may overcome the need of immunosuppressant prophylaxis post transplantation. Prophylaxis is currently standard practice to prevent GvHD, but has a serious drawback, as it increases the chance of infection and also the relapse rate. Thus ATIR does not only intend to prevent GvHD, but could also reduce the rates of infection and relapse. Together, these complications account for approximately 70 % of allogeneic transplant related mortality.

For the complete press release go to http://www.kiadis.com/News

*Note

Dr John Barrett is Chief of the Allotransplant Section at National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD, USA, where the trial is being performed. Dr Stephan Mielke, who initiated this study as principal investigator at NHLBI, is currently worki
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