MedImmune Presents Data Highlighting its Progressive Inflammatory Disease Portfolio...

MedImmune Presents Data Highlighting its Progressive Inflammatory Disease
Portfolio at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- MedImmune today announced that
researchers will present eight posters from its inflammatory disease program
at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, from October 24
to 29, 2008 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.

"MedImmune is working on a number of potential solutions for patients
struggling with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases," said Barbara White,
M.D., vice president, clinical development, respiratory, inflammation, and
autoimmunity. "We are pleased to share promising basic research and
translational science data relevant to the development of new treatments for
diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and myositis"

MedImmune programs that will be discussed include:

-- MEDI-545 - MEDI-545 is a monoclonal antibody (MAb) targeting
interferon-alpha, which regulates processes involved in autoimmune
diseases. MedImmune has launched a broad development program with
this
molecule to assess its potential to treat or prevent a variety of
immunological disorders. Currently, MedImmune is conducting a phase
2a
trial in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and a phase
1b
study in patients with active dermatomyositis and polymyositis. The
company has also conducted clinical trials in psoriasis with MEDI-545.
-- CAM-3001 - CAM-3001 is a MAb with potential to help patients with
rheumatoid arthritis. The antibody targets the alpha sub-unit of the
granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor receptor (GM-CSFR).
CAM-3001 is a phase 1 clinical stage program.
-- ICOS - ICOS (Inducible costimulator) is a receptor on activated
T-cells
that plays a central role in humoral immunity. Elevated levels of ICOS
are present in patients with autoimmune diseases and effector
cytokines
have been shown to correlate with increased levels of this protein.
MedImmune has a preclinical program studying the over-expression of
ICOS
in several autoimmune diseases.
-- CXCL13 - CXCL13 is a molecule that recruits B cells into inflammatory
cell aggregates called follicles. In patients with rheumatoid
arthritis
the levels of CXCL13 are elevated within the inflamed joints thus
encouraging B cells to accumulate and interact with a range of cells,
such as T cells, within the joint promoting the generation of new
inflammatory follicles and contributing to the disease process.

MedImmune has a preclinical program investigating antibodies that target
CXCL13 which may have the potential to prevent the generation of these
inflammatory follicles within the rheumatic joint.

The schedule for MedImmune's eight research posters to be presented at the
meeting, starting on Sunday October 26, is as follows:

-- ICOS as a potential regulator in inclusion body myositis and
dermatomyositis - Chris Morehouse, M.Sc., Sunday, October 26 from 9:00
a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Hall A, Abstract: 46

-- Internalization of the antibody (CAM-3001) following monocyte cell
surface binding to the GM-CSFR alpha chain - Brandon Higgs, Ph.D.,
Sunday, October 26 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Hall A, Abstract: 35

-- Neutralization of CXCL13 impacts B-cell trafficking and reduces
severity
of established experimental arthritis - Matthew Sleeman, Ph.D.,
Monday,
October 27 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Hall A, Abstract: 771

-- IFN-alpha/beta as a therapeutic target in systemic lupus
erythematosus,
myositis, and rheumatoid arthritis: a transcript profiling analysis of
whole blood from multiple autoimmune diseases - Brandon Higgs, Ph.D.,
Tuesday, October 28 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Hall A, Abstract:
1346

-- Neutralizing IFN-alpha in SLE affects GMCSF, TNF-alpha, IL-10,
IL1-beta
and BAFF signaling pathways - Brandon Higgs, Ph.D., Tuesday, October
28
from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Hall A, Abstract: 1340

-- Memory T lymphocytes expressing the inducible costimulator (icos) are
required to maintain the secondary lymphoid tissue architecture in non
human primates - Gianluca Carlesso, Ph.D., Tuesday, October 28 from
9:00
a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Hall A, Abstract: 1843

-- In vitro properties of CAM-3001, a human anti GM-CSF receptor antibody
for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis - Matthew
Sleeman, Ph.D., Tuesday, October 28 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in
Hall
A, Abstract: 1338

-- Use of a SOCS3 ex-vivopharmacodynamic quantitative RT-PCR assay for
CAM-3001, a new antibody therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid
arthritis - Jo Woods, Ph.D., Tuesday, October 28 from 9:00 a.m. -
11:00
a.m. in Hall A, Abstract: 1339

About MedImmune
MedImmune is a leading innovation-focused biotechnology company whose mission
is to provide better medicines to patients, new medical options for physicians
and rewarding careers to employees. Dedicated to advancing science and
medicine to help people live better lives, the company is focused on
infection, oncology, respiratory disease and inflammation, cardiovascular/
gastrointestinal disease and neuroscience. Headquartered in Gaithersburg,
Maryland, MedImmune has approximately 3,000 employees worldwide and is the
wholly owned biologics business for AstraZeneca plc (LSE: AZN.L, NYSE: AZN).
For more information, visit MedImmune's website at www.medimmune.com.

SOURCE MedImmune

Media: Sidoney Atse, +1-301-398-5990, or Investors: Peter Vozzo,
+1-301-398-4358, both of MedImmune