Stamulumab

Stamulumab (MYO-029) is an experimental myostatin inhibiting drug developed by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of muscular dystrophy. MYO-029 was formulated and tested by Wyeth in Collegeville, PA. Myostatin is a protein that inhibits the growth of muscle tissue, MYO-029 is a recombinant human antibody designed to bind to and inhibit the activity of myostatin.

Stamulumab is a G1 immunoglobulin antibody which binds to myostatin and prevents it from binding to its target site, thus inhibiting the growth-limiting action of myostatin on muscle tissue. Research completed in 2002 found that Stamulumab might one day prove to be an effective treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Phase 1 and 2 Trials

• Wyeth undertook a Phase 1 and 2 clinical trial in 2005 and 2006 of MY0-029. The multiple ascending does trial (36 patients per cohort) contained some measures of efficacy. The trial's participants included people afflicted with Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, Becker's muscular dystrophy, and Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. Through 2007 Wyeth has been analyzing the results and there is hope for news and/or a publication by the fourth quarter of 2007.

Related

• ACVR2B is similar to Stamulumab but is not an antibody; rather, it provides a portion of the molecule to which myostatin would normally bind thus preventing the myostatin from binding with the actual molecule.