- PharmAust (PAA) has assessed five dogs as part of its phase 2b clinical trial of monepantel (MPL) in the treatment of naive B-cell lymphoma in pet dogs
- Based in Western Australia, PAA is a clinical-stage oncology company developing therapeutics for both humans and animals
- Discounting mild and occasional inappetence, to-date, the drug’s side effect levels have been below those of other conventional anticancer drugs
- Data from the trial will help to establish future standalone and/or combination treatment regimens for a phase three trial in dogs
- The phase 2b trial is still recruiting and progressing
- PharmAust shares are up 5 per cent to 10.5 cents
PharmAust (PAA) has assessed five dogs as part of its phase 2b clinical trial of monepantel (MPL) in the treatment of naive B-cell lymphoma in pet dogs.
Basesd in Western Australia, PAA is a clinical-stage oncology company developing therapeutics for both humans and animals.
To date, the company has tested the drug in six dogs with stage four-to-five B-cell lymphoma, with one animal withdrawn from the trial due to non-compliant dosing.
PAA says while some dogs experienced mild and occasional inappetence, the effect appeared insignificant and difficult to attribute solely to MPL.
In fact, according to PharmAust, the drug’s side effect levels to-date have been recorded at below those of other conventional anticancer drugs, with trial veterinarians reporting that all participating dogs were in good spirits and well within themselves at day 28.
On these grounds, the dogs’ owners have elected to continue treating their pets with MPL compassionately after the trial.
Importantly, PAA is set to form an interim analysis of MPL and MPLS blood levels achieved in the trial, with the outcome to provide a conservative baseline threshold for the satisfactory side-effect profile observed so far.
The levels will also contribute invaluable information for establishing future standalone and/or combination treatment regimens for a phase three trial in dogs.
Further, PAA says the extracted pharmacokinetic data will also provide important information for forthcoming human trials.
PharmAust Chief Scientific Officer Dr Richard Mollard said he was pleased to see minimal side effects after the innapetence observed in the first trial.
“This gives PharmAust plenty of room to further monepantel testing as a standalone therapy or in combination with other drugs in future larger trials,” Dr Mollard said.
Senior Lecturer in Oncology at the University of Melbourne, Dr Claire Cannon, is the principal investigator overseeing the trial.
“Monepantel is being well-tolerated by the dogs in this study to-date with most dogs having no adverse events reported and those that were reported being mild,” Dr Cannon commented.
The phase 2b trial is still recruiting and progressing, with trial data due for release following the observation of clear and meaningful outcomes by the principal investigator.
PharmAust shares are up 5 per cent to 10.5 cents at 10:46 am AEDT.