Alizyme's mucositis treatment in successful clinical trial; shares climb to two-year high
Drug developer Alizyme's (AZM.L) announcement on Thursday of success in its Phase IIa clinical trial to evaluate its plant-protein ATL-104 for the treatment of mucositis saw its share price gain 11%.
The trial set out to determine the effect of ATL-104, administered as a swallowable mouthwash, on several features associated with chemotherapy-induced mucositis. Patients were treated for three days before and three days after the chemotherapy used to destroy their cancer and bone marrow.
The trial enrolled 64 patients and was conducted at eight centres in the UK. It was a pilot proof of concept study, and was not designed to demonstrate statistical significant differences between the three doses of ATL-104 and a placebo.
Alizyme said the trial showed ATL-104 consistently reduced the duration of mucositis across all actively treated groups.
CEO Dr Richard Palmer (pictured) said the company would "now evaluate the details of the results further, in preparation for discussions with regulatory authorities on the future development strategy for this compound.
"We will also share these encouraging data with potential licensing partners, and will be presenting them at a scientific meeting at the earliest appropriate opportunity."
Principal Investigator Dr. Robert Marcus said the encouraging results provide early data that now merits further investigation in larger randomised trials.
ATL-104 is a plant protein manufactured by a recombinant process. It has been developed by Alizyme after agreement in 1996 with Rowett Research Institute, which gave Alizyme ownership of all its intellectual property involving drugs based on plant lectin proteins.
Treatment of cancer with chemotherapy or radiotherapy frequently results in mucositis, a condition in which the lining of the mouth and gastrointestinal tract is damaged leading to inflammation, ulcers, pain, diarrhoea and difficulty in eating and drinking.
Over one million of cancer patients treated each year suffer from mucositis and the potential market for drugs to prevent and treat it is estimated to be more than $500m a year.
The company's share price gained 11% on the news, trading up to a two-year high of 186p, boosting market capitalisation to £334m.
2nd March 2006
