     AV-299AV-299 is a high-affinity antibody whose binding to Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Scatter Factor (HGF/SF) potently neutralizes the biological activities of HGF in vitro and in vivo. The HGF/c-Met pathway is frequently deregulated in different types of human cancers and is thought to play an important role in regulating tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. Utilizing its proprietary technology platform, AVEO has developed substantial evidence of the importance of the HGF pathway in tumor maintenance. The diverse biological roles of the HGF/c-Met pathway make the selection of patients most likely to respond to anti-HGF therapies especially difficult. To guide the clinical development of AV-299, AVEO is using its proprietary preclinical models of human cancer to identify specific populations of tumors in which the HGF/c-Met pathway plays a critical role in tumor maintenance, as opposed to those in which the pathway is activated but not essential. AVEO’s Human Response Prediction™ platform provides AVEO with unique insight into the biology of anti-HGF therapies, and uniquely positions it to move AV-299 forward into clinical development. AVEO’s AV-299 program exemplifies the progress AVEO has made in discovering drugs that target functionally-relevant tumor maintenance genes identified and validated by AVEO in its proprietary in vivo cancer models. Nomination of a clinical candidate occurred in 2006, with an IND to follow in early 2008. AVEO has selected XOMA as a corporate partner responsible for the humanization, manufacture and supply of AV-299 in support of human clinical trials. On April 4th, 2007, AVEO announced that it had entered an exclusive worldwide license and development agreement with Schering-Plough for AV-299. AVEO will have primary responsibility for clinical development of AV-299 through proof-of-concept in man and will apply its HRPTM platform during a multi-year translational research program designed to discover biomarker profiles of patients most likely to benefit from treatment with AV-299. AVEO retains the option to co-promote AV-299 in the United States for certain oncology indications. |
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