Innovation Pharma (Formerly known as Cellceutix) Completes Patient Enrollment In Phase II Study Of Brilacidin For The Prevention Of Severe Oral Mucositis
BEVERLY, Mass., Aug. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc., (OTCQB:IPIX) (“the Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, today announces that it has completed patient enrollment for its ongoing Phase 2 clinical study of Brilacidin for the prevention of Severe Oral Mucositis (OM). A total of 61 patients have been enrolled, with topline results anticipated in 4Q2017.
The Company looks forward to completing the study so that the full dataset can be analyzed, further informing Brilacidin’s treatment potential in OM. Previously released interim results, showing a markedly reduced rate of Severe OM (WHO Grade = 3) in patients treated with Brilacidin compared to placebo, can be accessed at the link below.
Comments
Arthur P. Bertolino, MD, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Medical Officer at Innovation Pharmaceuticals, said, “The completion of full patient enrollment in our Phase 2 study of Brilacidin marks an important step towards the Company’s goal of potentially developing the first-ever preventative treatment for Severe OM. There currently is a considerable unmet medical need and market opportunity in this area. Brilacidin, which is easily administered via an oral rinse, stands apart from other OM drug candidates in development, as they are mainly intravenously-administered and primarily targeted at only ameliorating OM symptoms.”
About Oral Mucositis
Oral Mucositis (OM) is a frequent, painful and debilitating complication of chemoradiation commonly manifesting in the treatment of Head and Neck Cancer. Characterized by inflammation and ulceration, patients suffering from OM are often unable to speak or eat (requiring the insertion of a feeding tube) and are more susceptible to bacterial infections, with severe cases leading to hospitalization and increased treatment costs of up to $25,000. Affecting over 500,000 people in the United States, there currently are no approved medications for the prevention of OM in this population, with only limited palliative care options available. Worldwide, the potential market for OM is expected to exceed $1 billion in the next few years.
About Brilacidin
Brilacidin is Innovation Pharmaceuticals’ lead drug candidate in its defensin mimetic franchise. Modeled after Host Defense Proteins (HDPs), the “front-line” of defense in the immune system, it is a small, non-peptidic, synthetic molecule that kills pathogens swiftly and thoroughly. Just as importantly, Brilacidin also functions in a robust immunomodulatory capacity, lessening inflammation and promoting healing. Due to its unique properties, the Company is studying Brilacidin’s effect on Oral Mucositis (under Fast Track designation) and on Ulcerative Proctitis / Proctosigmoiditis (UP/UPS) in Phase 2 trials. Additional trials of Brilacidin are planned in other conditions, including: Atopic Dermatitis, Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Acne. Brilacidin is also being developed under FDA’s Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation as an antibacterial product for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infection (ABSSSI)—qualifying it for Fast Track and possible Priority FDA Review and an extra 5 years of United States market exclusivity upon drug approval.
Learn more here:
http://www.ipharminc.com/brilacidin-1/
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About the Company
Headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IPI), formerly Cellceutix Corporation, is publicly-traded under the company symbol “IPIX”. The Company is clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies in multiple diseases. The Company believes it has a world-class portfolio of first-in-class lead drug candidates and is now advancing them toward market approval, while actively seeking strategic partnerships. The Company’s Psoriasis drug candidate Prurisol completed a Phase 2 trial and a Phase 2b study is ongoing. Prurisol is a small molecule that acts through immune modulation and PRINS reduction. The Company’s anti-cancer drug Kevetrin successfully concluded a Phase 1 clinical trial at Harvard Cancer Centers’ Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Company has commenced a Phase 2 study in Ovarian Cancer. In the laboratory, Kevetrin has been shown to modulate p53, often referred to as the “Guardian Angel Gene” due to its crucial role in controlling cell mutations. Brilacidin, a defensin mimetic compound, has shown in an animal model to reduce the occurrence of severe ulcerative Oral Mucositis (OM) by more than 94% compared to placebo. The Company is in a Phase 2 clinical trial with its novel compound Brilacidin-OM for the prevention of OM in patients with Head and Neck Cancer; interim results have shown a marked reduction in the incidence of severe OM (WHO Grade = 3). The Company’s lead antibiotic, Brilacidin, has completed a Phase 2b trial for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infection, or ABSSSI. Top-line data have shown a single dose of Brilacidin to deliver comparable clinical outcomes to the FDA-approved seven-day dosing regimen of daptomycin. Brilacidin has the potential to be a single-dose therapy for certain multi-drug resistant bacteria (“superbugs”). Topline results are now available for the Phase 2, open label Proof-of-Concept trial, treating patients with Brilacidin for Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis (UP/UPS), two types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The Company has formed research collaborations with world-renowned research institutions in the United States and Europe, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of Bologna. More information is available on the Company website at www.IPharmInc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements concerning projected timelines for the initiation and completion of clinical trials, our future drug development plans, other statements regarding future product developments, including with respect to specific indications, and any other statements which are other than statements of historical fact. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the Company’s actual results and experience to differ materially from anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. The Company has in some cases identified forward-looking statements by using words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “estimates,” “looks,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “goal,” “potential,” “may,” “suggest,” and similar expressions. Among other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements are the Company’s need for, and the availability of, substantial capital in the future to fund its operations and research and development; including the amount and timing of the sale of shares of common stock to Aspire Capital; the fact that the Company’s compounds may not successfully complete pre-clinical or clinical testing, or be granted regulatory approval to be sold and marketed in the United States or elsewhere. A more complete description of these risk factors is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law or regulation.
INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACT Innovation Pharmaceuticals Leo Ehrlich info@ipharminc.com