Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. announced that it has signed a collaboration agreement with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for the use of the company's anti-cancer antibodies in a lung cancer research program. Under the agreement, Apar Pataer, associate professor of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at MD Anderson will use the Amorfix antibodies to identify misfolded proteins expressed on the surface of various human lung cancer cell lines. In addition, studies will be conducted to identify other potential candidate misfolded protein targets for analysis with the company's proprietary ProMIS(TM) discovery technology to identify immunotherapeutic targets for the generation and development of therapeutic antibodies for use in the treatment of lung cancer.

Amorfix Life Sciences announced it has completed a study that shows that the treatment of cancer cells with chemotherapeutic agents increases the amount of misfolded prion protein at the cell surface, and the subsequent binding of anti-prion protein antibodies. The increased expression is specific to tumor cells and is not seen on normal ovarian cells. In addition, the Company reports the completion of the first in a series of studies with its anti-misfolded prion protein antibody in animal models of ovarian cancer with promising preliminary results on reducing tumor volume. There is now a growing effort and subsequent scientific literature describing the advantages of combination therapy when treating a variety of cancers. Amorfix's new data suggests that a combination of standard chemotherapy and anti-misfolded prion protein antibodies may have an enhanced tumor killing effect as compared to either treatment alone. The Company's anti-misfolded prion protein antibody binds to disease specific epitopes (DSEs), which were identified with the ProMISTM Discovery platform, that are expressed on the cell surface of ovarian tumors but not on normal ovarian cells. The antibody and an antibody-urease conjugate are being tested in a number of ovarian cancer animal models. In this initial study, the antibody urease conjugate showed a reduction in median and mean tumor volume as compared to the non-treated group, however, because of the extremely aggressive nature of this stringent model, a meaningful statistical analysis of these data was not possible. Based on these initial promising findings, additional tumor studies are in progress. The ability to successfully treat solid tumors remains difficult in part because of a lack of understanding of the complex biology of tumors that allow them to avoid the immune system and grow, spread and invade vital organs. Early drugs developed for the treatment of cancer include chemotherapeutic agents that non- specifically kill rapidly dividing cells which include normal cells as well as tumor cells. As a result, these agents have significant side effects that compromise the ability to effectively eradicate tumors. More recently there has been a large effort by both academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies to develop targeted therapeutics that would have a greater killing effect on tumors compared to normal cells. There is increasing interest in the scientific community to explore the advantages of combination therapy when treating a variety of cancers.

Amorfix Life Sciences announced that it has furthered the development of the first effective blood test to diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by cloning ultra-high affinity antibodies that detect a misfolded version of the enzyme superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), which has been implicated in the development of the disease. These ultra-high affinity antibodies will also be instrumental in the development of a treatment for ALS in both its therapeutic and vaccine initiatives. The Amorfix therapeutic antibody program, through the collaboration with Biogen-Idec, continues to advance through preclinical animal models. In addition, the company has a strategic partnership with Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise Inc. (PREVENT) to develop ALS therapeutic vaccines against misfolded SOD1. ALS is a disease that is difficult to diagnose and treat. At the present time, clinicians must rely on a combination of clinical findings and indirect testing to confirm a diagnosis of ALS, as there is no diagnostic test or biomarker at their disposal. The average survival time after diagnosis is 3 to 5 years which indicates that there are no effective treatments available for patients once diagnosed with ALS. The company believes that the availability of a reliable blood test would represent an important advancement in the management of this devastating disease, allowing clinicians to diagnose the disease earlier and provide better treatment. The projected market for such a diagnostic test is approximately $250 million. In addition, the company's therapeutic and vaccine programs represent potential blockbuster products that could improve patient survival by treating existing disease or slowing or preventing the onset of disease. ALS is a common neuromuscular disease, affecting an estimated 120,000 people of all races and ethnic backgrounds worldwide. According to the ALS Association, more than 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS annually and an estimated 30,000 Americans have ALS at any given time.