AltaRex Medical

AltaRex was a Canadian biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of "antibody-based" immunotherapies for the treatment of various cancers. The company's proprietary technology platform, known as Birepair, was designed to induce a robust immune response by using murine monoclonal antibodies to target tumor-associated antigens. Its lead product, OvaRex (oregovomab), reached Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. Following its acquisition by United Therapeutics in 2002, the company's assets were eventually licensed to Quest PharmaTech, where development of the lead candidates continues today. AltaRex's pipeline also included candidates for prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers, utilizing antigens such as MUC1 and PSA.