Spun off from research done at Indiana University, Emphymab Biotech LLC is developing a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), affecting more than 10 million people andthe third leading cause of death in the IS. COPD is often caused by smoking and includes both emphysema and chronic bronchitis, illnesses that cause breathing difficulty. With current treatments providing only temporary relief of symptom, Emphymab has been working on a novel inflammatory cytokine, endothelial monocyte activating polypeptide II (EMAPII), which is enhanced in patient lungs in proportion to disease severity. The company has developed a therapeutic antibody that neutralizes EMAPII, thus blocking lung destruction. The Emphymab treatment employs a compound (a monoclonal antibody) that blocks a lung protein that is activated by smoking and contributes to lung damage. Having shown significant benefits in mouse models of smoking and lung disease - this approach c/would be among the first to halt/to slow COPD progression
