Abstract
The development of an anti-bacterial drug in the form of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting an exposed virulence factor, represents an innovative therapeutic strategy. Consequently, a fully human IgG1 mAb (LST-007) targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) flagellin type b was recombinantly expressed and characterized in vitro and in an infection model driven by a multidrug resistant (MDR) PA strain. LST-007 demonstrated a highly specific binding towards whole PA bacteria harboring flagellin type b and its recombinant counterpart, with a K(D) of 7.4x10(-10) M. In bioactivity assays, LST-007 or titers of Cmax sera derived from pharmacokinetic studies, markedly attenuated PA motility in an equipotent manner. In vivo, parenteral LST-007 (20 mg/kg) given as a single or double-dosing paradigm post-infection, afforded survival (up to 75% at Day 7) in a lethal model of pneumonia driven by the intratracheal (i.t.) instillation of an LD(80) of the MDR PA isolate. This protective effect was markedly superior to that of imipenem (30% survival at Day 7) and totally devoid with an irrelevant, human isotype mAb. These data lay credence that LST-007 may be a valuable adjunct to the limited list of anti-bacterials that can tackle MDR PA strains, thereby warranting its continued development for eventual clinical evaluation.