Talecris Biotherapeutics has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for PROLASTIN®-C (Alpha1-Proteinase Inhibitor [Human]), a more concentrated version of PROLASTIN® produced using advances in manufacturing technology. PROLASTIN-C is indicated for the treatment of alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, a genetic condition in which low levels of this essential protein can result in emphysema. The active protein in PROLASTIN-C increases or “augments” protein levels in AAT-deficient patients at risk for developing emphysema.

Scientists are on their way to developing an effective antidote for botulinum toxin – one of the world’s most feared biological weapons. The researchers have developed a protein that blocks the effects of the toxin by tricking it into not attacking cells in the body. The protein acts on the most powerful of these seven toxins produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, for which there is no medical treatment. The developed protein behaves as a decoy to proteins in the nerve cells, which means that the toxin chooses not to attach itself to the nerve cells when it enters the body, preventing paralysis.