Micromet Shows Feasibility of Subcutaneous Delivery of BiTE Antibody in Preclinical Pri...( BETHESDA Md. April 14 /- Micromet...),Health

BETHESDA, Md., April 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Micromet, Inc. (Nasdaq: MITI), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel, proprietary antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases, presented data at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in San Diego, CA, showing good bioavailability and predictable serum levels of subcutaneously administered BiTE(R) antibodies(1). BiTE antibodies are designed to direct the body's cytotoxic, or cell-destroying, T cells against tumor cells, and represent a new therapeutic approach to cancer therapy.

Micromet conducted a pharmacokinetic study in non-human primates exploring different routes of administration of its BiTE antibody MT110, which is targeting EpCAM (CD326) and is the most advanced BiTE antibody with potential application for the treatment of solid tumors. Continuous intravenous administration, as currently used in an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial with MT103 (MEDI-538), was compared to subcutaneous administration by daily repeated bolus injection and continuous administration using mini-pumps, which are commercially available and routinely used by patients with diabetes for the delivery of insulin. Both subcutaneous regimens resulted in bioavailability of MT110 of 30 to 40 percent, with constant serum trough levels over the six-day treatment period.

"Our pre-clinical results are paving the way for the development of alternative routes of administration for MT110 and other BiTE antibodies to further enhance the quality of life of patients under treatment," comments Patrick A. Baeuerle, Micromet's chief scientific officer. "A very convenient mini-pump system, designed for life-long use by diabetes patients for ins
'/>"/>