SAN DIEGO, April 25, 2002 -- La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (Nasdaq: LJPC) today presented data supportive of its investigational drug candidate LJP 1082 for the treatment of antibody-mediated thrombosis, a life-threatening blood-clotting disorder that can result in stroke and heart attack. LJP 1082 is currently being tested in a Phase I/II clinical study.

Among the findings reported at the First Tutzing Antiphospholipid Conference in Tutzing, Germany, Company scientists reported that disease-causing antibodies targeted by LJP 1082 also promote lupus anticoagulant activity. The lupus anticoagulant test is commonly used by physicians to diagnose patients with antibody-mediated thrombosis, also known as the Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

Douglas Saffran, Ph.D., the Company's Associate Director of Research, presented data indicating that antibodies that target the first domain of a key blood protein, beta 2 glycoprotein 1 (B2 GP1), also increase lupus anticoagulant activity levels. In one experiment, scientists evaluated the lupus anticoagulant activity of purified domain 1-specific antibodies from eight patient samples and found that all eight tested positive for lupus anticoagulant activity. In another experiment, LJP scientist's found that when domain 1-specific antibodies were removed from seven patient samples with high lupus anticoagulant levels, the levels of lupus anticoagulant activity were decreased for all samples. The presentation was entitled "Domain 1-specific anti-B2 GP1 Antibodies from APS Patients Contribute to Lupus Anticoagulant Activity."

"The lupus anticoagulant assay is used routinely to identify patients with antibody-mediated thrombosis. Today's findings indicate that the antibodies targeted by LJP 1082 may cause antibody-mediated thrombosis and are a key therapeutic target," said Matthew Linnik, Ph.D., the Company's Executive Vice President of Research.

In a second presentation, G. Michael Iverson, Ph.D., a Company Senior Research Scientist, reported data confirming that disease-causing antibodies from patients with antibody-mediated thrombosis bind primarily to domain 1 of B2 GP1. Company scientists compared antibody binding to native B2 GP1 to a mutant in the first domain and to a mutant in the fourth domain to determine the binding location. The talk was entitled "The Orientation of B2-glycoprotein 1 (B2-GP1) on the Plate is Important for the Binding of Anti-B2-GP1 Autoantibodies by ELISA."

Antibody-mediated thrombosis is a severe blood-clotting disorder that results in an increased risk of stroke, deep-vein thrombosis, heart attack, recurrent miscarriage and heart valve lesions. This autoimmune disease afflicts up to two million patients in the United States and Europe, including many lupus patients. Unlike the typical patient, these patients often experience their first stroke, heart attack or miscarriage in their 20s and 30s, and studies indicate they have twice the probability of a recurrence.

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company is a biotechnology company leading the development of therapeutics for antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases afflicting several million people in the United States and Europe. The Company is conducting a Phase III trial of LJP 394 in patients with lupus kidney disease, a leading cause of sickness and death in these patients. The Company is also conducting a Phase I/II trial of LJP 1082 for the treatment of antibody-mediated thrombosis, a condition in which patients suffer from recurrent stroke, deep-vein thrombosis and other thrombotic events. The Company's common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol LJPC. For more information about the Company, visit our Web site: http://www.ljpc.com. Patients interested in the Phase III lupus trial may call 1-888-30-LUPUS for information.

Except for historical statements, this press release contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements regarding the analysis of results from preclinical and clinical studies as well as La Jolla Pharmaceutical's drug candidates and drug development plans. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors, both foreseen and unforeseen, could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Previously announced clinical results for LJP 394 are derived from a trial that was terminated prior to completion, and certain data are incomplete. The Company's blood test to measure binding affinity for LJP 394 is experimental and has not been validated by independent laboratories. Tolerance, or the specific inactivation of pathogenic B cells, is a new technology that has not been proven. The Company's ability to develop and sell its products in the future may be affected by the intellectual property rights of third parties. Future clinical trials of the Company's drug candidates may have negative or inconclusive results. Future clinical trials of the Company's drug candidates may not support results of preclinical or other prior trials of LJP 394 for treating lupus or LJP 1082 for treating antibody-mediated thrombosis, and may reveal a potential safety issue requiring the development of new candidates. Any delays in testing of the Company's drug candidates and/or termination of development by the Company would result in delays or lack of government approval to market the compounds. The development of drug candidates involves many risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, whether the drug can provide a meaningful clinical benefit, and any positive results observed to date may not be indicative of future results. La Jolla Pharmaceutical's other potential drug candidates involve comparable risks. Interested parties are urged to review the risks detailed from time to time in La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001.

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