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Meditech Collaborates with International Cancer Drug Expert

Date: 9th December 2008, Source: Althealth News

Biotechnology company Meditech Research Limited (ASX: MTR) today announced that it has initiated a collaboration with Professor Kazuhiko Arimori at the Miyazaki Medical College Hospital in Miyazaki, Japan.




Professor Arimori is a world expert on the metabolism of irinotecan – one of the most widely used colorectal cancer drugs – and, through the collaboration, will investigate the effects of hyaluronic acid on the levels of irinotecan in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of rats.


Meditech anticipates that the collaboration will provide insights into the mechanism by which hyaluronic acid reduces the toxic effects of cancer drugs. These insights will support and extend the observations from the company’s recently completed Phase I study of HyCAMPTM – Meditech’s proprietary formulation of irinotecan with hyaluronic acid – where it saw evidence of reduced GI toxicity in colorectal cancer patients. In particular, patients showed a lower than expected incidence of severe diarrhoea, one of the most common side effects seen in patients treated with cancer drugs such as irinotecan.


Meditech announced earlier this month that it has begun a Phase II clinical study of HyCAMP in colorectal cancer patients.


“We are excited to work with a scientist of the caliber of Professor Arimori,” said Associate Professor Tracey Brown, Meditech’s Research Director. “Professor Arimori conducted many of the studies supporting the original approval of irinotecan and so is the ideal person to carry out the HyCAMP™ studies.”


Research work under the collaboration will be conducted at the Miyazaki Medical College Hospital in Japan and the Hyaluronan Research Laboratory at Monash University in Melbourne.


About HyCAMP

HyCAMP is Meditech’s proprietary formulation of irinotecan (Camptosar®) with hyaluronic acid. It has previously been tested in a 12-patient, uncontrolled Phase I study, the results of which were presented at the 29th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in October 2004. Although the number of patients in the Phase I study was not sufficient to draw any firm conclusions, treatment with HyCAMP showed a trend towards improved safety with maintained efficacy. A Phase II study is currently underway.


HyCAMP is the subject of a development and commercialisation agreement with Danish company Novozymes Biopolymers A/S. Novozymes Biopolymers is a 100% owned subsidiary of Novozymes A/S, the biotech-based world leader in enzymes and microorganisms. With its head office in Denmark, Novozymes employs more than 3,900 people in 30 countries. (For further company information visit Novozymes on the Internet at www.novozymes.com.) Under this agreement, Meditech and Novozymes are collaborating in the development of advanced formulations of HyCAMP. In addition, Novozymes is providing funding for the Phase II clinical study. Meditech has the right to commercialise intellectual property arising from the collaboration in the fields of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, while Novozymes has the commercialisation rights for cosmetics and nutraceuticals. For products developed under this agreement, Novozymes will be the exclusive supplier of hyaluronic acid.



About Meditech

Meditech is an Australian biotechnology company focused on developing and commercialising drugs that improve the health and quality of life of patients with cancer and other chronic diseases. The company has internationally recognised expertise in carbohydrate-based therapies, particularly products based upon the glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronic acid. Building on this expertise, Meditech has created its patented HyACT (Hyaluronic Acid Chemotransport Technology) platform which it is applying to the development of improved formulations of cancer drugs. In addition to HyCAMP, Meditech has taken the anti-cancer products HyDOX (doxorubicin and hyaluronic acid) and HyFIVE (5-fluorouracil and hyaluronic acid) into clinical testing.