West Conshohocken, PA, 21 September 2023: BTG Pharmaceuticals, a SERB company, announced today that SERB will present in vivo data for PR022, a polyclonal antibody in development as an antidote for ricin poisoning, on the first day of the upcoming North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology (NACCT) in Montreal.
The presentation, titled “In vivo viability of a polyclonal ovine antibody Fab fragment as a countermeasure against ricin toxicity” will be presented on the 29th September at 3:30 pm EDT in the Palace du Canada ballroom (2nd Floor) at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel.
Christon Hill, Chief Innovation Officer, SERB who will be presenting the data, said: “SERB is committed to developing therapies to serve unmet medical needs in the field of toxicology, biodefense, and medical countermeasures. We’re pleased to be presenting our data at this leading clinical toxicology congress about our development of a treatment for ricin poisoning.”
The company will present neutralization data for 7 doses tested in two murine models of ricin poisoning established by two different Contract Research Organizations using two different ricin batches. In July of this year the company presented in vitro data at the International Conference on Emergency Medicine demonstrating its ability to create antibodies using a novel antigen based on the ricin toxin.
SERB, a global leader in the supply of medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats, is one of the few companies that can manufacture polyclonal antibodies at a commercial scale and with robust processes suitable for market authorisations in all territories. Their polyclonal antibody technology is currently used to manufacture CroFab and DigiFab, two FDA approved products that have been sold for over 20 years.
Further information about the company’s ricin antidote programme is available to governments, health authorities, and emergency preparedness agencies upon request.
About ricin poisoning
Ricin is one of the most toxic biological agents known; it’s classified as a Category B bioterrorism agent and a Schedule 1 chemical warfare agent. Humans only need ingest 10 micrograms to experience symptoms of toxicity, and that dosage threshold drops even lower if the ricin is inhaled or injected. An estimated lethal oral dose in humans may be as low as 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight. Symptoms of ricin poisoning can appear within hours or days of exposure.
About BTG Pharmaceuticals
BTG, a SERB company, is dedicated to helping healthcare providers treat patients with critical conditions, focusing on emergency care and rare diseases. For over 30 years we have helped treat complex and life-threatening conditions; supporting clinicians, healthcare systems and governments while offering hope to patients and their families. As a fully integrated company, we have the experience and capabilities to acquire, develop, and manufacture our medicines to the highest standards, and make them available worldwide through our secure supply chain. Learn more at serb.com.
For further information contact:
Chris Sampson, Corporate Communications Director
chris.sampson@serb.com; Tel: +44 (0)7773 251 178
