CIC investigators test new drug for allergic asthma

GailGauvreau
Dr. Gail Gavreau

Researchers in AllerGen’s Clinical Investigator Collaborative (CIC) have shown that a new drug (quilizumab) successfully blocks the production of an immune system protein, reducing symptoms of allergic asthma.

The study​, led by Dr. Gail Gauvreau (McMaster University), was conducted by CIC investigators at six Canadian universities and one international site, and published in the July 2, 2014, issue of Science Translational Medicine.

Quilizumab, manufactured by Genentech, is a new monoclonal antibody that targets a receptor on immature blood cells to block the production of immunoglobulin E (IgE), a key protein involved in the allergic response. While other drugs bind to circulating IgE, quilizumab acts by depleting the cells responsible for IgE production even before it occurs, according to Dr. Gauvreau.

“The reduction of IgE in the blood was sustained for at least six months after the last dose of quilizumab, suggesting a long-lasting effect on IgE production,” says Dr. Gauvreau. “These findings may have implications for patients with severe asthma or other diseases which are caused by high levels of circulating IgE.”

A follow-up clinical trial involving a larger group of subjects with more severe asthma is underway.

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