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- Biotech company PharmAust (PAA) reports “significant progress” on its canine cancer trials
- The company has found that the combination of its Monepantel (MPL) drug candidate and the standard of care can more than double the life expectancy of dogs with cancer
- PharmAust says it’s in confidential exploratory discussions with a leading global pharmaceutical company to co-develop and commercialise MPL
- Now the company is planning its phase three trial, where it plans to seek input for the canine cancer registration trial from potential licensing partners
- PAA shares are down 1.16 per cent to trade at 8.5 cents per share at 1:32 pm AEST
Biotech company PharmAust (PAA) has reported “significant progress” on its canine cancer trials.
The company has found that the combination of its Monepantel (MPL) drug candidate and the standard of care can more than double the life expectancy of dogs.
In the trial, 27 dogs were treated using MPL monotherapy, and of the 16 pet dogs with optimum blood levels, 13 achieved stable target lesions. This includes one dog with a partial response (60 per cent regression).
Nine of the 16 dogs with optimum blood levels have achieved stable disease by response evaluation criteria in solid tumours (RECIST).
Veterinary trial centres have been set up in Australia, New Zealand and the US to evaluate the anti-cancer befit of MPL in dogs diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma and have not received any previous cancer treatments.
PharmAust will need more than or equal to 18 dogs with a clinical benefit out of 46 dogs to meet its statistical endpoint.
After the trial, some veterinarians continued to use the MPL treatment and, sometimes, in combination with prednisolone. This saw an average extension of survival to these pet dogs of 16 to 24 weeks, more than double the life expectancy of the standard of care that typically provides six to eight weeks of survival.
US trials have commenced and will treat up to 10 dogs, following guidelines from the US Food and Drug Administration. While New Zealand recruitments have successfully gathered momentum with five dogs recruited.
PharmAust said it is in confidential exploratory discussions with a leading global pharmaceutical company to co-develop and commercialise MPL for the treatment of veterinary cancers.
Now the company is planning its phase three trial, where it plans to seek input for the canine cancer registration trial from potential licensing partners.
On the market, PAA shares were down 1.16 per cent to trade at 8.5 cents per share at 1:32 pm AEST.
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