What is "toralizumab"

n. A humanized monoclonal antibody and immunosuppressive drug, withdrawn because of the risk of thromboembolisms.

Toralizumab (IDEC 131) was a humanized monoclonal antibody and an immunosuppressive drug. Possible indications included treatment of antibody-mediated disorders ( immune thrombocytopenic purpura, lupus nephritis, rheumatoid arthritis), T-cell-mediated diseases ( multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and transplantations such as solid organ transplantation, pancreatic islet cell transplantation, and corneal transplantation), and B-cell malignancies such as CLL/ small lymphocytic lymphoma, follicular cell lymphoma grade I or II, marginal zone lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, MALT lymphoma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, monocytoid B-cell lymphoma; relapsed/refractory Hodgkin's disease).

In Phase II clinical trials regarding multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease, thromboembolisms occurred in at least three patients. A causal connection could not be proven, but since the same adverse effects were seen in trials with a similar antibody (hu5C8), the trials were halted.

The drug was developed by IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation.