First Human Dosing of Gerilimzumab
RuiYi initiates clinical trial for autoimmune disorders drug
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arGEN-X reports that its partner RuiYi, Inc., has announced the first human dosing of Gerilimzumab, a novel monoclonal antibody neutralizing the IL-6 cytokine, for the treatment of autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis.
arGEN-X licensed the worldwide rights to develop and commercialize Gerilimzumab to RuiYi in late 2012. Gerilimzumab was originally generated by arGEN-X using its SIMPLE Antibody™ platform and has been further differentiated with NHance®, its novel, proprietary technology, which prolongs the circulation time and improves tissue distribution of antibodies.
The clinical trial initiated by RuiYi is a double-blind, placebo controlled study in healthy volunteers, with both single and multiple ascending dose protocols. The start of the trial triggers an undisclosed milestone payment by RuiYi to arGEN-X.
Positive results from this study will support advancing Gerilimzumab into trials in patients with autoimmune disorders, including moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in 2016.