Madaus Ag

Cytavis Biopharma Gmbh

Laboratoire Medidom Sa

Melema Pharma Gmbh

Viscum Ag

Klaus Witthohn

Wolf Grimminger

Helga Zaeske

Alfons Carcasona

Hans Lentzen

Pentti Hietala

Pentti Heitala

Oliver Gloger

Bernd W Muller

Pentti H&ecirc;itala

Bernd W Müller

Olivier Gloger

An antiviral agent containing recombinant mistletoe lectins for treating virus infections and a medicament and/or pharmaceutical composition for treating virus infections are described. Recombinant mistletoe lectin polypeptides can be a mistletoe lectin A-chain, as well as parts or fragments of the mistletoe lectin A-chain. The antiviral agent can be used for any number of virus infections, such as Herpes simplex, adenovirus, poliovirus, and poxvirus. Also, the antiviral agent can be used for skin virus warts, anogenital warts, mucous membrane warts and malignant tumors such as cervical cancer, penis and vulvar cancer.

Antiviral agent comprising recombinant mistletoe lectins

A drug and/or pharmaceutical composition comprising recombinant mistletoe lectins for treating metastatic tumors, including malignant melanoma such as stage IV malignant melanoma, and use of said drug, particularly in select patient populations, are described. Recombinant mistletoe lectin polypeptides can be a mistletoe lectin A-chain or fragments thereof. Alternatively, the recombinant mistletoe lectin polypeptides can be mistletoe lectin B-chain or fragments thereof. The drug can be used for the treatment of stages III and IV of a metastatic tumor or skin cancer, as well as to treat non-responders and therapeutic failures of a standard tumor therapy. The drug can be used in a dosage in a range of 3-7 ng recombinant mistletoe lectin per kg body weight. The dosage of the recombinant mistletoe lectin can also be 200-500 ng, independently of body weight. The drug can be administered once a week, or more frequently.

Drug containing recombinant mistletoe lectins for treating malignant melanoma

The invention relates to a method for the production of a medicament containing a polypeptide comprising at least one recombinant carbohydrate-binding polypeptide, or a functional fragment or derivative of said carbohydrate-binding polypeptide in a form stable for storage. The polypeptide mentioned comprises polypeptides or functional derivatives thereof, which are fused with cytotoxically effective peptides to give fusion proteins, or which are linked to another polypeptide having a cytotoxic activity. Moreover, the invention describes further formulating of the disclosed medicaments to medicaments with different pharmaceutical forms.

Stable galenic freeze-dried pharmaceutical preparation of recombinant carbohydrate-binding polypeptides

The present invention provides a process for obtaining diacetylrhein, wherein diacetylrhein containing aloe-emodin components is subjected to a liquid&mdash;liquid partitioning between a polar organic solvent which is only partly miscible with water and an aqueous phase of pH 6.5 to 7.5 and the diacetylrhein is recovered and optionally recrystallized. The present invention is also concerned with diacetylrhein obtainable by this process and with pharmaceutical compositions containing it.

Process for production of diacetylrhein

The present invention provides a process for treating arthritis utilizing substantially pure diacetylrhein having an aloe-emodin content of less than 20 ppm.

Method of preparing diacetyl rhein

Sennosides A, B and Al of the formula: ##STR1## which are substantially free from sennosides C, D and Dl, and from aloe-emodin derivatives, are prepared by a process wherein a) a sennoside mixture is reduced to rhein-9-anthrone-8-glucoside and aloe-emodin-9-anthrone-8-glucoside, b) a liquid-liquid partitioning of the compounds obtained is carried out between a polar organic solvent which is only partly miscible with water and an aqueous phase and c) the rhein-9-anthrone-8-glycosides contained after the partitioning in the aqueous phase is again oxidized to the corresponding sennosides and these are recovered.

Method of extracting sennosides A, B and A1

Diacetylrhein which is substantially free of aloe-emodin components, is prepared by a process wherein

The present invention provides a process for obtaining diacetylrhein, wherein diacetylrhein containing aloe-emodin components is subjected to a liquid-liquid partitioning between a polar organic solvent which is only partly miscible with water and an aqueous phase of pH 6.5. to 7.5 and the diacetylrhein is recovered and optionally recrystallised. The present invention is also concerned with diacetylrhein obtainable by this process and with pharmaceutical compositions containing it.

Growing community of inventors

Overath, Germany

Klaus Witthohn