Recce Pharmaceuticals to expand diabetes foot infection trial as results prove strong

• Recce Pharmaceuticals (ASX:RCE) is set to expand a diabetes-related-infection trial domestically and internationally
• Its flagship anti-infective R327 can treat foot ulcer infections in diabetics when applied as a gel
• Diabetes is a factor in 85 per cent of lower-limb amputations not caused by accidents in the US
• Recce shares last at 51.5 cents

Recce Pharmaceuticals (ASX:RCE) is seeking to expand internationally a key trial investigating the use of its flagship product in diabetic patients with foot infections.

That flagship product is R327, a widely-applied anti-infective so far showing positive for treatment in wound infections in diabetics; UTIs, and other conditions.

In this trial, R327 is simply applied as a gel; in other trials, it can be injected.

All study endpoints have been met by the ongoing gel-application diabetic foot infection (DFI) trial with the company now looking to expand the list of locations where the trial is being undertaken.

Recce isn’t only looking at other locations in Australia – it wants to go worldwide.

What about safety?

To date, Recce reports DFI participants using the R327 gel have all tolerated it well and that “bacterial infections in DFI[s]” have been “resolved/cured”.

Patients with mild and soft tissue DFIs resistant to other medications have also responded well, the company today reported.

In the trial, patients either apply the gel daily or every two days for a two-week period.

Recce ultimately wants to expand to increase the number of patients for greater data validity.

Why DFI?

Diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations in the US.

Diabetes patients who develop a foot ulcer are required to have that foot eventually amputated up to 24 per cent of the time.

At the same time, foot ulceration is a leading cause of amputation – detected in 85 per cent of cases.

With health metrics in the US pointing to a steady prevalence of diabetes, the logic in the Recce lab is obvious – as well as offering the tantalising prospect of a massive addressable market.

In that stead, Recce’s international expansion is likely to be favoured by shareholders.

“We look forward to expanding the study [and] accessing a global patient population,” Recce CEO James Graham said.

“The … trial has met all primary endpoints and produced efficacy data to support R327 being used as [a gel.]”

RCE shares last traded at 51.5 cents.