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InterMune to Develop Compound for the Treatment and Prevention of

Pseudomonas Infections

Company Accepts Humanized Monoclonal Antibody From Protein Design

Labs

BRISBANE, Calif., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq:

ITMN)

today announced that it has accepted a humanized monoclonal antibody

targeted

against the PcrV protein of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The

monoclonal form of the antibody was developed by a team of

researchers at the

Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and the University of

California,

San Francisco, and was then humanized under an agreement with Protein

Design

Labs, Inc.

" The successful humanization of the PcrV antibody marks a significant

milestone in InterMune's development of a product to prevent

Pseudomonas

infections, " said Woodruff Emlen, M.D., Vice President of Scientific

Affairs

at InterMune. " We are now prepared to begin manufacturing and

toxicology

testing and will work toward moving the program into the clinic by

the end of

next year. "

Pseudomonas aeruginosa often affects hospitalized patients with

ventilator-associated pneumonia, burns, low white blood cell counts

and

cystic fibrosis. The target of the humanized monoclonal antibody,

PcrV, is a

protein of the type III secretory system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

that

facilitates the virulence, or disease-causing ability of these

bacteria.

There are approximately 664,000 patients placed on ventilators in the

United

States each year and approximately 150,000 of these patients develop

ventilator-associated pneumonia.

In May 2001, significant new research was published in " The Journal

of

Infectious Disease " that directly links expression of the PcrV

protein to

increased mortality rates in patients infected with strains of

Pseudomonas

aeruginosa. Mortality among patients whose Pseudomonas aeruginosa

strains

express the PcrV protein was 22% (16 of 78) compared with 3% (1 of

34) among

patients whose strains did not express the PcrV protein.

" The confirmation that expression of the PcrV protein is a major

determining

factor for mortality of patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa will be

very

important in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these deadly

infections, " said Dara W. , Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology and

Molecular Genetics at the Medical College of Wisconsin. " We are

pleased that

InterMune is taking our work forward and believe that it has great

potential

to benefit patients. "

The efficacy of targeting PcrV was first demonstrated in an animal

model of

Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia by investigators at the Medical

College of

Wisconsin and the University of California, San Francisco and was

reported in

the journal " Nature Medicine " in April 1999. Recognizing the

potential of

this antibody, InterMune initiated a collaboration with the two

universities

that led to the development of a mouse monoclonal antibody that was

effective

against the bacterial pneumonia.

InterMune is developing and commercializing innovative products for

the

treatment of serious pulmonary and infectious diseases and cancer.

InterMune

markets its lead product, Actimmune®, for the treatment of chronic

granulomatous disease (CGD) and severe, malignant osteopetrosis.

InterMune is

currently conducting a Phase III clinical trial with Actimmune® for

the

treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). InterMune is also

conducting or planning clinical trials of Actimmune® for the

treatment of

multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB), atypical mycobacterial

infections,

ovarian cancer, cryptococcal meningitis, cystic fibrosis, liver

fibrosis and

non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. InterMune recently acquired rights to Infergen

®,

which is marketed in the United States and Canada for the treatment

of

chronic hepatitis C infections. InterMune also markets Amphotec®

worldwide

for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis.

Except for the historical information contained herein, this press

release

contains certain forward-looking statements concerning certain of

InterMune's

clinical development goals that involve risks and uncertainties. All

forward-looking statements and other information included in this

press

release are based on information available to InterMune as of the

date

hereof, and InterMune assumes no obligation to update any such

forward-looking statements or information. InterMune's actual results

could

differ materially from those described in InterMune's forward-looking

statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such

differences

include, but are not limited to those discussed under the

heading " Risk

Factors " and the risks and factors discussed in InterMune's most

recent

periodic reports (i.e., 10-K, 10K/A, 10-Q and 8-K) filed with the

SEC. In

sum, these significant risks include, but are not limited to: the

uncertainty of success of InterMune's efforts in research,

development,

commercialization, product acceptance, third-party manufacturing and

capital

raising: the uncertain, lengthy and expensive regulatory process;

uncertainties associated with: obtaining and enforcing patents

important to

its business, being an early-stage company and relying on third-party

payors'

reimbursement policies; competition from other products; and product

liability lawsuits.

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SOURCE InterMune, Inc.

CO: InterMune, Inc.

ST: California

IN: MTC BIO

SU:

08/16/2001 07:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com