We've updated our Privacy Policy to make it clearer how we use your personal data. We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. You can read our Cookie Policy here.

Advertisement

ProImmune Introduces ProStorm™ In Vitro Assay Service

Listen with
Speechify
0:00
Register for free to listen to this article
Thank you. Listen to this article using the player above.

Want to listen to this article for FREE?

Complete the form below to unlock access to ALL audio articles.

Read time: Less than a minute

ProImmune Ltd. has announced the commercial launch of ProStorm™, an in vitro cytokine release assay, which can help assess the likelihood of first infusion reactions to novel therapeutics.

ProStorm™ offers drug developers an improved route to risk identification prior to initiating clinical trials in man.

Cytokine release syndrome (“cytokine storm”) is an acute immune reaction to first infusion of a drug, characterized by immediate release of proinflammatory cytokines.

A lack of understanding of the risk of this reaction contributed to a near-fatal cytokine storm in participants in phase I clinical trials of TGN1412.

There is a clear need for preclinical assays such as ProStorm™ to assess the likelihood of this syndrome occurring.

If a potential risk is indicated, lower doses of the therapeutic can be used alongside prophylactic antihistamines or steroids to mitigate that risk.

ProStorm™ is designed specifically to indicate when a cytokine storm first infusion reaction may be a risk for a drug.

The ProStorm™ assay uses fresh undiluted whole blood from a large cohort of donors, to give a sensitive evaluation of cytokine responses to a therapeutic in one simple step.

Dr. Nikolai Schwabe, CEO of ProImmune, said “First infusion cytokine storm reactions to new therapeutics can represent a substantial stumbling block to drug development. Now, using the ProStorm™ assay service, developers of biologics can gain valuable information to inform the design of their first-in-man trials. By offering ProStorm™, we at ProImmune are extending the range of services we offer to help our clients bring safe and effective therapeutics to market.”