Micromet's BiTE(R) Antibodies Reveal Unique Mode...( BETHESDA Md. Nov. 6 /- Micromet I...),Health

BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Micromet, Inc. (Nasdaq: MITI), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel, proprietary antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases, announced the publication of two new studies describing a unique mode of action of Micromet's bispecific BiTE antibody therapeutics. The studies were published in the Journal of Immunotherapy(1) and in Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy(2), respectively.

BiTE antibodies are designed to transiently connect cytotoxic T cells with cancer cells leading to a tightly controlled and serial elimination of cancer cells. In this process, cytotoxic T cells are activated, which causes them to proliferate, recharge their toxins and increase their adhesiveness.

The two new studies have shown that BiTE antibodies activate T cells only when cancer cells are present, but not when they are given to T cells in the absence of cancer cells. The studies have also shown that initial cytokine release by activated T cells is not required for elimination of cancer cells, and that anti-inflammatory steroid hormones can efficiently quench the initial cytokine release by BiTE-activated T cells without reducing their capacity to kill cancer cells.

"The highly conditional, target cell-dependent activation of killer T cells by our BiTE antibodies is a very important safety feature in patients," commented Patrick Baeuerle, Micromet's Chief Scientific Officer. "Unlike other T cell-activating agents, BiTE antibodies activate T cells in a highly controlled fashion that is intimately linked to the desired therapeutic activity."

"We have observed depletion of circulating B lymphoma cells and have confirmed partial and complete responses in the clinical trials with MT103. At the same time, only very low systemic cytokine levels, if any, were detected," commented Carsten Reinhardt, Micromet's Chief Medical Officer. "The side effect profile of MT103 seen in the ongoin
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