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Market Opportunities
FOCUS ON CANCER AND HIV
Argos’ initial focus is on cancer and HIV. Argos’ personalized
immunotherapeutics are applicable to nearly all cancers, including hematologic
malignancies, and to the majority of new cancer patients.
Global sales
of cancer agents in 2005 exceeded $20 billion; these sales are expected
to double by 2011. These figures do not include products used for adjunct,
supportive care treatments, which account for another $12.5 billion.
Treatments for HIV, which consist primarily of highly active anti-retroviral
therapy, presently represent a commercial market in excess of $5 billion.
Argos’ personalized
immunotherapeutic approach could enable a more effective and potentially
safer treatment option to a large percentage of patients around the globe.
The Company estimates that a personalized immunotherapeutic product to
treat cancers and/or HIV could have multi-billion dollar revenue potential.
FOCUS
ON OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Beyond HIV, Argos’ patented technology
offers the potential to create personalized immunotherapies for other
infectious diseases resistant to current therapies. Chronic infections
such as hepatitis C (HCV) represent some of the largest and most significant
areas of unmet medical need.
FOCUS ON TRANSPLANTATION AND AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS
Through its proprietary
knowledge of dendritic cell behavior, Argos has recognized potential
applications for other disease areas. Argos is developing soluble CD83
protein as a novel first-in-class therapy to prevent transplantation
rejection and treat certain autoimmune diseases. According to the Organ
Procurement and Transplantation Network, about 25,000 organ transplants
take place per year. The rate of transplant rejection varies by organ
and ranges from 30 to 60 percent, creating a considerable need for effective
prevention and treatment. Current transplant rejection treatment includes
immunosuppressive agents with heavy side effects. In contrast, Argos’ CD83
protein selectively blocks immunoresponse without causing total immunosuppression.
In addition to transplantation rejection, CD83 is potentially a treatment
for a number of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis and
diabetes, for which there are large unmet medical needs.
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