CAMBRIDGE, MASS., September 30 /CNW/ - Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB - News) announced today the publication of findings from a preclinical study reporting that the anti-LINGO-1 antibody can promote spinal cord remyelination and axonal integrity, suggesting a potential role as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The results are published in the October issue of Nature Medicine, and confirm previously published data that suggested a role for the anti-LINGO-1 antibody in CNS myelin repair.

LINGO-1 appears to act as a molecular switch that controls the ability of cells in the CNS to produce myelin, the protective cellular sheath surrounding nerve fibers that assists nerves in conducting electrical impulses. When myelin is damaged by autoimmune diseases such as MS, nerve cells lose their ability to send signals to the body. As this damage progresses, these cells may eventually die, contributing to disability. Although MS therapies can slow the progression of this damage, none are able to repair the lost myelin. Biogen Idec scientists had previously discovered that LINGO-1 may act to prevent myelin repair after injury. In the study published today, by blocking LINGO-1, scientists were able to promote myelin repair and improve recovery in an animal model of MS.

"While preliminary, these findings are encouraging and suggest that the anti-LINGO-1 antibody has the potential to repair some of the damage caused to the CNS. This may be an entirely new approach to treating MS," said Alfred Sandrock, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Neurology Research and Development, Biogen Idec. "The anti-LINGO-1 program is a key part of our research and development efforts in MS. We have a diverse pipeline of therapeutic candidates targeting multiple pathways and patient needs with the goal of offering a portfolio of options for people living with this devastating disease."

In the study, functional recovery from demyelination was modeled by tracking the disease progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a widely accepted animal model for studying the clinical and pathological features of MS. The anti-LINGO-1 antibody was administered before disease onset and was found to decrease the severity of EAE across all stages of disease progression, when compared to the control treatment group. In a related study, anti-LINGO-1 antibody treatment resulted in significantly reduced EAE symptoms even when it was administered after disease onset.

The study found that functional recovery, as measured by EAE scores, correlated with improved axonal integrity and axonal remyelination. Physiological improvements in axonal integrity were revealed by magnetic resonance DTI imaging. At the cellular level, the production of new myelin sheaths was revealed by histological staining and electron microscopy.

"This is a very exciting early indication that therapies targeted at myelin repair within the CNS can have a dramatic effect on behavioral functional outcome in models of multiple sclerosis, and opens the door for the identification of additional regulators of myelin repair that might be used to enhance functional recovery in patients with MS," said Robert H. Miller, PhD, Principal Investigator, Myelin Repair Foundation and Director of the Center for Translational Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University.

Anti-LINGO-1 was discovered by Biogen Idec and is one of several programs in the company's industry-leading research and development efforts in MS. In addition to its two marketed products, the company has four programs in clinical development for the treatment of MS.

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