PLATFORM (5)
Camelidae Blood Products

This pipeline technology is currently under active production and research and development as per our strategic development plan 2007-2009.

Canopus BioPharma has an operational subsidiary in Australia which has worked for the past seven years in researching the properties and potential use of camel antibodies as research and therapeutic agents and in the manufacture of diagnostic assays. They have a camel herd of over 500 animals at a specially constructed facility to allow the production of serum, plasma, antibodies and other blood products.

Antibodies produced in the blood of camels are unique: -
Camel antibodies are one tenth the size of normal antibodies, they remain stable in both acid and alkaline conditions and can pass through the stomach into the blood system of patients (orally bioavailable), they remain stable through a greater range of temperatures than normal antibodies, and therefore they can be stored at room temperature. Camel antibodies have a very low immunogenic profile. Camel antibodies, due to their small size, can penetrate deep within tumors and the active sites of enzymes which conventional antibodies cannot accomplish.

Some of the current target pharmaceutical areas in which Canopus BioPharma is developing camel antibody treatments are:

(5)(a) Anthrax: Camel antibodies have been successfully raised to the three toxins of the Anthrax bacteria, in South Africa on our behalf. These antibodies will be tested in a rabbit model of Anthrax both in South Africa and the USA.

(5)(b) Influenza: Camel antibodies have also been raised to the H5N2 influenza virus at the National Camel Research Center in India on our behalf. These antibodies are currently under test against Avian influenza (H5N1) in animal models at Government laboratories in India and China.

(5)(c) Sepsis: Canopus BioPharma at its facilities in Australia has raised inhibitory antibodies to the key immune activating enzymes of macrophages which are pivotal to controlling septic shock in a patient. Animal model studies are planned during 2008 in the USA and Germany.

(5)(d) Rheumatoid Arthritis: By utilizing a defibrillated camel serum, isolated from camels, inoculated with specific human cytokines, anecdotal data has been generated to suggest that the active inhibitory serum to the specific cytokines was orally bioavailable, and caused remission of symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis in patients. These finding will be further elucidated under clinical conditions.

(5)(e) Psoriasis: from a research analysis of camel serum produced, from an inoculation program at the Canopus BioPharma facility, it has been discovered that certain constituents of our camel serum are beneficial in the topical treatment of Psoriasis.