Anadis claims success with anthrax killer

Melbourne biopharma Anadis (ASX:ANX) has announced that antibody extracts from the colostrum of immunised dairy cows completely protects cells from the lining of the human lung against deadly anthrax toxin in vitro.

Anadis researchers have been working with scientists from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) on a short-term protective measure for soldiers who may inhale spores of biowarfare agents like anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) or bubonic plague (Yersinia pestis).

The company reported that the polyclonal anti-anthrax antibodies were as affective as laboratory-manufactured monoclonal antibodies in neutralising anthrax lethal toxin, which rapidly kills lung epithelial cells.

Anadis' proprietary technology involves immunising dairy cows with antigens from infectious agents, and extracting and purifying the resulting polyclonal antibodies to neutralise the infectious agents in human subjects exposed to them.

Anadis and DSTO researchers have already developed a polyclonal antibody test to detect anthrax infections in the field, and DSTO has asked the company to develop a field test that could rapidly detect anthrax spores that may have been distributed over the landscape in aerosol form.

The company has an agreement with big Victorian dairy company Tatura Milk to harvest antibody-rich colostrum from the 'first milk' of dairy cattle. Because anthrax is naturally present in the soil in the region -- several human cases have been recorded in recent years -- dairy farmers routinely immunise their cattle against anthrax, so antibodies to anthrax appear in their colostrum.

The company's CEO, Conor Graham, said Anadis had the capacity to extract multi-tonne quantities of anthrax or plague polyclonal antibodies.

The plague treatment project is still in the very early stages. Graham said farmers do not need to immunize their cattle against plague, but non-pathogenic Yersinia bacteria form part of the commensal microflora of dairy cattle.

Graham said the abundance of polyclonal antibodies in cow's milk, and the resulting low cost, presents commercial opportunities not available to low-volume, expensive monoclonal antibodies.

Anadis hopes there will be sufficient antigenic overlap between the human and bovine forms to generate polyclonal antibodies that will cross react with antigens from the bubonic and pneumonic plague forms of Y. pestis, should they be deployed as biowarfare agents.

The company's CSO, Dr Grant Rawlin, said it was vital to be able to determine whether soldiers in the field had been exposed to anthrax or plague, and to treat them with neutralising antibodies as soon as possible, because the delays inherent in performing conventional serological tests in a laboratory could mean that treatment would come too late.

There were considerable challenges involved in developing a polyclonal technique to detect anthrax or plague spores in the environment.

Technology grant

Anadis announced last week it had been offered a $973,000 Commercial Ready Grant from the Commonwealth to develop its decoy profiling technology (DPT).

DPT enables vaccine developers to remove abundant 'decoy' antigens from vaccines, which can cause the immune system to mount an ineffectual neutralising response against other, sometimes relatively minor antigens that are crucial to mounting a strong neutralising immune response.

Anadis said it believes DPT will allow vaccine technology to be improved to a point where protective antibodies can be produced in bulk for the multi-billion dollar markets for so-called functional and medical foods.

The company also announced that it has signed up a Canadian distributor for its Travelan polyclonal antibody remedy for traveller's diarrhoea.

Anadis has signed a heads of agreement with Canadian pharmaceutical distributor Baralex/Valeo Pharm.

Travelan is already in the final stages of registration in Canada, and Anadis expects to sign a final agreement in January, and begin selling into Canada -- whose market is 30 per cent larger than Australia's domestic market -- next February or March.