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Study shows Promics' Second Generation Drug Active in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
02 / 06 / 2005
Brisbane, Australia
Research conducted by Promics' scientists in its Brisbane laboratories has demonstrated a marked effect of a second generation orally active C5a antagonist (PMX205) in a widely used animal model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Prominent international pharmacological journal, the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, has published a scientific paper detailing this research and the publication abstract may be directly accessed at the journal's website - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/jpet.105.086835v1.
The study showed that Promics' new therapeutic candidate, PMX205, resulted in a marked survival advantage when administered orally 24 hours after injury. This was associated with a reduction in colon injury as evidenced by improved body weight, food consumption and colon pathology compared to vehicle control animals.
In addition, these effects occurred with oral administration and at 10-30 fold lower doses than Promics' first generation drug, PMX53, when the drugs were directly compared in this study.
The Managing Director of Promics, Mr Alan Scott, said the study results were an exciting finding for the company. "The results confirmed that C5a is an important target in IBD and revealed a novel drug candidate for development in chronic inflammatory bowel conditions such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis," he said.
Promics plans to develop PMX205 for these disorders which affect between 0.5 and 1% of the adult western population.
Current treatments for IBD involve the injection of large therapeutic proteins. In spite of these difficulties, sales of drugs to treat the condition were over US $1.6 billion in 2004.
Background
Established in December 1999, Promics is a venture capital backed company based on technology from the University of Queensland which focuses on developing drugs that target C5a and other aspects of the complement cascade. Initial investors are GBS Venture Partners, Start-up Australia Ventures and UniQuest.
Promics'' anti-inflammatory agents act by blocking the C5a receptor. Blocking the C5a receptor is expected to reduce the pain and tissue damage associated with inflammation in a variety of clinical indications. The drugs under development have significant advantages over existing anti-inflammatory therapies, are given orally and have the potential to act more effectively across a broader population base.
Promics'' success in its ongoing research was recognised by the granting of patents in 2002 by the Australian Patents Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office in late 2004 in respect of PMX53 and other analogues. These patents include compound and method of treatment claims over PMX53 and related compounds. Corresponding specific disease state patent applications are pending in the United States, Japan, Europe and Hong Kong.
About Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a serious disorder which results in abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and weight loss. There are two forms of the disease: Crohn''s disease, which can affect any area of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus and causes inflammation of the full thickness of the bowel wall; and ulcerative colitis, which involves only the innermost lining of the colon (large intestine). There are medications to decrease inflammation and ease symptoms, but there is no cure. IBD affects men and women equally. About 25-40% of ulcerative colitis patients must eventually have their colons removed because of massive bleeding, severe illness, rupture of the colon, or risk of cancer. Sometimes removal of the colon is recommended if medical treatment fails or if the side effects of corticosteroids or other drugs threaten the patient''s health. The aetiology of IBD is obscure and is characterised by inflammation which is immune mediated and possibly driven by gut bacterial flora.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) currently affects 0.5-1% of the Western world''s population. This translate
Research conducted by Promics' scientists in its Brisbane laboratories has demonstrated a marked effect of a second generation orally active C5a antagonist (PMX205) in a widely used animal model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Prominent international pharmacological journal, the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, has published a scientific paper detailing this research and the publication abstract may be directly accessed at the journal's website - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/jpet.105.086835v1.
The study showed that Promics' new therapeutic candidate, PMX205, resulted in a marked survival advantage when administered orally 24 hours after injury. This was associated with a reduction in colon injury as evidenced by improved body weight, food consumption and colon pathology compared to vehicle control animals.
In addition, these effects occurred with oral administration and at 10-30 fold lower doses than Promics' first generation drug, PMX53, when the drugs were directly compared in this study.
The Managing Director of Promics, Mr Alan Scott, said the study results were an exciting finding for the company. "The results confirmed that C5a is an important target in IBD and revealed a novel drug candidate for development in chronic inflammatory bowel conditions such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis," he said.
Promics plans to develop PMX205 for these disorders which affect between 0.5 and 1% of the adult western population.
Current treatments for IBD involve the injection of large therapeutic proteins. In spite of these difficulties, sales of drugs to treat the condition were over US $1.6 billion in 2004.
Background
Established in December 1999, Promics is a venture capital backed company based on technology from the University of Queensland which focuses on developing drugs that target C5a and other aspects of the complement cascade. Initial investors are GBS Venture Partners, Start-up Australia Ventures and UniQuest.
Promics'' anti-inflammatory agents act by blocking the C5a receptor. Blocking the C5a receptor is expected to reduce the pain and tissue damage associated with inflammation in a variety of clinical indications. The drugs under development have significant advantages over existing anti-inflammatory therapies, are given orally and have the potential to act more effectively across a broader population base.
Promics'' success in its ongoing research was recognised by the granting of patents in 2002 by the Australian Patents Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office in late 2004 in respect of PMX53 and other analogues. These patents include compound and method of treatment claims over PMX53 and related compounds. Corresponding specific disease state patent applications are pending in the United States, Japan, Europe and Hong Kong.
About Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a serious disorder which results in abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and weight loss. There are two forms of the disease: Crohn''s disease, which can affect any area of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus and causes inflammation of the full thickness of the bowel wall; and ulcerative colitis, which involves only the innermost lining of the colon (large intestine). There are medications to decrease inflammation and ease symptoms, but there is no cure. IBD affects men and women equally. About 25-40% of ulcerative colitis patients must eventually have their colons removed because of massive bleeding, severe illness, rupture of the colon, or risk of cancer. Sometimes removal of the colon is recommended if medical treatment fails or if the side effects of corticosteroids or other drugs threaten the patient''s health. The aetiology of IBD is obscure and is characterised by inflammation which is immune mediated and possibly driven by gut bacterial flora.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) currently affects 0.5-1% of the Western world''s population. This translate