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OUR PRODUCTS
The pharmaceutical industry currently uses human blood serum to gather the supply of human antibodies necessary in developing disease-fighting drugs. But Hematech's unique TC Bovine™ technology has developed human antibody-producing cattle, making it possible to create an efficient, safe, and steady supply of polyclonal antibodies in larger quantities. This is expected to have widespread implications for the development of new medicines to combat a variety of infectious and other diseases.
Some applications of Hematech's technology are the following:
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Antibiotic-Resistant Infections
Bacteria that cause common infections are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, resulting in lengthier illnesses and higher mortality rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates nearly 2 million people in the United States acquire an infection while in a hospital, resulting in 90,000 deaths. Most of the types of bacteria causing these infections are resistant to at least one of the antibiotics commonly used to treat them. In contrast to antibiotics, bacteria cannot develop resistance to polyclonal antibodies. Hematech's bovine-derived polyclonal antibodies, therefore, are an ideal complement to current standard practices of using antibiotics to fight infection.
Biodefense
Defense against terrorists using biological agents to harm either our military personnel or civilians is an important responsibility of the United States government. In response, the federal government is funding the development of novel therapeutics for treatment of individuals either before a potential exposure or after exposure to a harmful biological agent. Hematech has programs funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) to develop human polyclonal antibody therapeutics for botulism toxin, anthrax and small pox exposure.
Immune Deficiencies
Some individuals have compromised immune systems and have difficulty fighting common infections. Immune deficiency is the result of many causes, including genetics, treatments for cancer and organ transplantation. Immune deficient patients currently are the largest group of users of human polyclonal antibody therapeutics. The human antibody treatments are effective but may cost $25,000 to $50,000 per year. Hematech may be able to make more potent human polyclonal antibody therapeutics in cattle resulting in substantial savings for this patient group.
Other Applications
Human polyclonal antibodies could be useful for treating many other diseases including organ transplant rejection, cancer and various autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. |
Hematech's human polyclonal antibodies are produced in genetically modified cattle (the TC Bovine™). Hematech's patented process involves inserting human genes for antibody production into cattle and inactivating the native antibody genes.
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