STARPHARMA’S SPL7013 ACTIVE AGAINST ALL MAJOR HPV STRAINS
December 7th 2008 22:53
Thursday December 4, 2008
Daily news on ASX-listed biotechnology companies
To read all these articles in full, subscribe to Biotech Daily at the link above or at www.biotechdaily.com.au
STARPHARMA
Starpharma says pre-clinical data shows that SPL7013 inhibits all four strains of the human papillomavirus targeted by the two marketed cervical cancer vaccines.
SPL7013 is the active ingredient in Starpharma’s topical microbicide Vivagel.
The trial used a non-gel form of the compound.
Starpharma said the pre-clinical results extended those of a previous study showing that SPL7013 was active against two of the four strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) targeted by the vaccines.
The company said SPL7013 had been shown to have in-vitro activity against HPV-16 and HPV-18, which account for 70 percent of cervical cancers; and HPV-6 and HPV-11, which together account for 90 percent of the incidence of genital warts.
Starpharma said the latest data demonstrated SPL7013 to be active against HPV-31. SPL7013 has been demonstrated to be active against HPV-45, the company said.
These two strains have been implicated in more than four percent of cervical cancers but neither is included in the existing vaccines.
Starpharma chief executive officer Dr Jackie Fairley said the new data “support our earlier findings that Vivagel may have potential for reducing the risk of genital HPV infection” the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US.
“Showing that Vivagel has activity against all major clinically relevant strains of HPV tested so far, in particular those strains not covered by the current cervical cancer vaccines, further strengthens the growing body of evidence demonstrating the efficacy of SPL7013 against several important [sexually transmitted infections],” Dr Fairley said.
Starpharma said that in the US, 6.2 million people were newly infected with human papillomavirus each year and that human papillomavirus infection was a factor in the development of virtually all cases of cervical cancer.
Vivagel is currently under clinical development as a vaginal microbicide for the prevention of transmission of HIV and genital herpes (HSV-2).
Starpharma was untraded at 23.5 cents.
To read all these articles in full, subscribe to Biotech Daily at the link above or at www.biotechdaily.com.au
| 44 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog