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Pacgen Biopharmaceuticals Corporation ("Pacgen") announced today that it has completed the recruitment of patients in its Phase IIb dose-ranging clinical trial for PAC-113
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada | April 15, 2008 | Pacgen Biopharmaceuticals Corporation ("Pacgen") (TSX VENTURE:PGA) announced today that it has completed the recruitment of patients in its Phase IIb dose-ranging clinical trial for PAC-113, a novel treatment for oral Candidiasis infection. The Company is on track to report final results from this study in June 2008.
PAC-113 is a peptide-based anti-fungal targeting oral candida infections in immunocompromised patients. The Phase IIb dose-ranging clinical trial of PAC-113 is being conducted at sites in the United States and South Africa and has now successfully recruited over 200 seropositive HIV patients with oral Candidiasis. The trial will establish the efficacy for PAC-113 in eliminating clinical signs and symptoms of oral candidiasis, as well as provide an optimal dosing level for Phase III pivotal trials. Further safety and tolerance of PAC-113 administered orally and microbiological response of Candida albicans to PAC-113 will also be evaluated.
The Phase IIb dose-ranging clinical trial is a randomized, examiner-blinded, parallel design trial comparing three different doses of PAC-113 to Nystatin, consisting of 2 week treatment phase and 2 week post-treatment/follow up phase. Nystatin is a widely used, topical mouth rinse treatment for oral Candidiasis.
About PAC-113
PAC-113 is a 12 amino-acid antimicrobial peptide derived from a naturally occurring histatin protein found in human saliva. This peptide alters the permeability of fungal cell membranes causing cell death. In addition, PAC-113 also interacts with fungal mitochondria causing production of reactive oxygen species that lead to fungal cell destruction. PAC-113 is formulated as a pleasant tasting, sugar-free mouth rinse.
About Candida Infection
Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen among immune-compromised, hospitalized patients, accounting for roughly 50-60% of all bloodstream fungal isolates. Opportunistic growth of Candida can be life-threatening if not treated.
Oropharyngeal Candidiasis, also referred to as "thrush", is a local infection seen in patients treated with antibiotics or steroids, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy to the head and neck, and those with cellular immune deficiency states, such as HIV and AIDS. Patients with xerostomia and those treated with inhaled corticosteroids for asthma or rhinitis are also at risk. Oropharyngeal Candidiasis infection can cause great discomfort, and if not treated, can spread from the primary site of infection through the blood stream to cause a disseminated infection. Disseminated fungal infections are associated with a high mortality rate. Current treatments for Candida infections may not be entirely effective in eliminating the infection, can have serious side effects and potential for drug interaction, and/or do not prevent the development of drug-resistant fungal infection.
The demand for effective anti-fungals is driven by a rising incidence of immunocompromised patient populations including individuals with HIV, cancer, asthma and diabetes, among others. In 2004, global sales of topical anti-fungal drugs represented nearly a US $1.6 billion dollar market, and it is projected to grow to US $2.1 billion by 2009. Pacgen estimates that the current worldwide market opportunity for a novel, safe and effective, oral Candidiasis therapy is approximately US $250 million.
About Pacgen
Pacgen is a life sciences company focused on the development of therapeutics for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases. The Company's lead product, PAC-113, is an anti-fungal in a Phase II clinical program. Pacgen also has candidates in an early stage research program. The most advanced of these candidates is a novel peptide therapeutic, PAC-G31P, which is currently being investigated in preclinical studies for its potential to treat inflammatory diseases characterized by non-beneficial neutrophil recruitment and activation. For additional information, please visit www.pacgenbiopharm.com.
SOURCE: Pacgen Biopharmaceuticals Corporation
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