PRODUCT PIPELINE
CANDIDA HP ANTIBODY
Indication
Systemic fungal infections are becoming increasingly more common in hospitals and greater than 70% of all infections are due to four common species of Candida. The mortality rate from systemic fungal infections is very high, reaching 40% overall. Invasive Candida infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality particularly in four major settings:
- Neutropenic patients following chemotherapy and other patients with immune suppression
- Low birth weight neonates
- Transplant patients
- Intensive care patients with long term intravascular lines, severe systemic illness, burns or prolonged antibiotic therapy
New therapies are needed as increasing resistance seen with prophylactic use of fluconazoles and significant toxicity associated with Amphotericin B complicates and restricts their use. In addition, C. parapsilosis represents close to 40% of Candida infections in neonates and the strains tend to be naturally drug resistant. A Candida heteropolymer drug could provide a new approach to both prevent and treat systemic infections.
Preclinical studies
Studies are currently underway to evaluate the efficacy of Candida HP candidates in in vivo mouse disease models. Results have demonstated that treatment with a single dose of a heteropolymer can reduce levels of Candida in the kidney by 2 – 3 logs. Efficacy has been observed against Candida albicans as well as other clinical strains.