Oxford
BioMedica: Successful Preclinical Results for new Anaemia
Product
Oxford
BioMedica plc (LSE:OXB) (“BioMedica”) announced
today that it had added a new product Repoxygen™, to
treat anaemia, to its development portfolio. Preclinical data
showing that the product cured anaemia in mice are being presented
by Dr. Katie Binley of Oxford BioMedica at the American Society
for Gene Therapy (“ASGT”) meeting in Boston this
week.
Anaemia
is a pathological reduction in the number of red blood cells
in the bloodstream leading to the lowering of the ability
of the blood to deliver oxygen to the body. It is a relatively
common condition particularly in patients with kidney disease
and those being treated with AZT for AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy
for cancer. The market for the treatment of anaemia is approximately
$2.0 billion and is currently dominated by recombinant erythropoietin
(EPO). However, the use of the recombinant product has some
disadvantages, particularly in determining the accurate dosing
level. The data presented to ASGT show that BioMedica’s
gene therapy approach has the potential to solve such problems.
BioMedica
has constructed a viral gene delivery vector carrying the
human EPO gene under the control of the Company’s hypoxia
control element (“HRE”). The HRE senses low oxygen
concentrations and will switch a gene on in response. When
the oxygen concentration returns to normal the HRE will then
switch the gene off providing an exquisite control mechanism
for the production of EPO in situ. Repoxygen™
is designed to be delivered by injection into muscle. Here
it produces EPO when the underlying anaemia results in low
systemic oxygen concentrations. This will lead to the selective
increase in the number of red blood cells, which carry oxygen
round the body. As the red blood cell count reaches normal
levels and the systemic oxygen concentration reaches normal
levels, the EPO gene is switched off. No further release of
EPO occurs until the patient becomes anaemic once more and
the cycle is repeated. In this way the product should allow
the patient to maintain a normal red blood cell count, thereby
curing the anaemia.
Data presented
by Dr. Binley, Principal Scientist at Oxford BioMedica, at
the ASGT meeting shows unequivocally that Repoxygen™
functions exactly as anticipated and has cured anaemic mice
via simple injections into muscle.
Commenting
on the results Professor Alan Kingsman, BioMedica’s
Chief Executive said: “This is an exciting
product that builds on our core competencies and underlines
our determination to extend BioMedica’s product portfolio
beyond cancer where we have already achieved considerable
clinical success. The preclinical efficacy data for Repoxygen™
are excellent and we are considering the clinical development
of the product, probably with a partner.”
-Ends-
|
