Recce Pharmaceuticals accelerates R327 trial for UTI patients with faster infusion rate approval

• Recce Pharmaceuticals (ASX:RCE) UTI trial using flagship anti-infective R327 has been greenlit to go further
• The company can now dose patients 3000mg in an IV transfusion of 15 minutes
• RCE continues to compile safety data around IV R327 delivery to present to key market health regulators
• R327 can also be applied and used as a gel to treat surgical wounds but success in this department is based on visual observations
• Shares are up 2.27 per cent, trading at 45 cents at 12:19 pm AEDT

Recce Pharmaceuticals (ASX:RCE) has reported a safety committee has approved a ramp-up of its flagship anti-infective Recce 327 (R327) trial.

Patients with UTIs or urosepsis are being studied to test the efficacy of R327.

Urosepsis is a more severe UTI and can be life-threatening, per ‘regular’ sepsis.

The drug has been injected or used as a gel, both reporting superior responses from patients in two studies.

The gel study remains in early stages and results aren’t fully known, but, visual observations show surgery wounds in diabetes patients appear to respond well.

Further safety ticks

The committee approved the injectable trial to see patients receive 3000mg at a faster infusion time of 15 minutes.

The company has been slowly increasing dosage size and transfusion speeds in its quest to compile high-quality safety data presentable to global health regulators in key markets.

To that end, it has received further evidence of efficacy – the company has received another unanimous safety committee opinion that 3000mg of the drug is tolerated well by both male and female patients.

The next cohort of patients has already been recruited, with dosing to begin “imminently”.

“I.V rapid infusion of antibiotics is useful as the speed of infusion can [increase] patients treated, wait times, and duration [of treatment],” the company wrote today.

Closer to optimal timing

At the first round of testing, R327 was injected over an hour-long period. When that was deemed safe, the company upped the dosage, and moved to a 30-minute timeframe.

Now Recce sits at 15-minute injection times for its flagship anti-infective.

How low Recce can go remains to be seen, but, the less time it takes, the more customers the drug can potentially reach.

Data reaffirms safety

“We’re pleased to receive approval to commence dosing of R327 at an even faster infusion rate,” RCE CEO James Graham said.

“This data reaffirms R327’s potential first-line treatment for patients suffering from life-threatening infections.

“This includes urosepsis as the mortality of sepsis increases by 6-8 per cent for every hour that treatment is delayed.”

RCE shares were up 2.27 per cent, trading at 45 cents at 12:19 pm AEDT.