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A fully integrated developer and manufacturer of polyclonal therapeutics, targeting infectious disease and acute toxic events

Ovine antibodies to treat Ebola Virus Disease

MicroPharm Limited is pleased to announce that, following promising in vitro results, its ovine polyclonal antibody against Ebola has advanced to the in vivo evaluation stage of a Wellcome Trust-funded project for rapid down-selection of experimental Ebola therapies. These antibodies are being developed in collaboration with Public Health England (PHE) and the University of Oxford.

Notes to Editors 

  1. MicroPharm Limited (MicroPharm) is a SME based in West Wales. It was founded in 1998 by Professor John Landon and Dr Ruth Coxon. The company’s core expertise lies in the raising of ovine antisera containing high levels of specific antibodies and the subsequent purification and modification of such antibodies to produce a range of immunotherapeutic products for clinical use. All are designed to treat acute, life-threatening emergencies, have been developed at the request of the medical profession and are required urgently either because no alternative exists or because any alternative is ineffective and/or unsafe.
  2. Public Health England (PHE)’s mission is to protect and improve the nation’s health and to address inequalities through working with national and local government, the NHS, industry and the voluntary and community sector. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health. www.gov.uk/phe Follow us on Twitter @PHE_uk
  3. MicroPharm, along with PHE and the University of Leeds, have been awarded £2.1 million grant from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to conduct Phase 1 and Phase 2a clinical trials of PolyCAb. These polyclonal antibodies are being developed by MicroPharm and PHE to treat Clostridium difficile infections. Extending this approach, MicroPharm and PHE, along with Dr Thomas Bowden and Professor David Stuart FRS of the University of Oxford, are currently developing ovine polyclonal antibodies against Ebola.
  4. The Wellcome Trust award for rapid down selection of experimental Ebola therapies has been awarded to PHE Porton scientists Professor Miles Carroll, Professor Roger Hewson, Dr Seshadri Vasan, Dr Julia Vipond, Dr Simon Funnell and Dr Stuart Dowall. MicroPharm’s candidate is one of twenty candidates selected for the first round of evaluation of promising Ebola therapies by PHE.

Posted on: Wednesday, 14th January 2015