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Media Release
13 September 2004
Bone Medical Reports Positive Phase I/IIa Clinical
Trial on Oral Osteoporosis Drug
Biopharmaceutical development company Bone Medical Limited (ASX:BNE)
is pleased to announce the positive completion of the first human clinical
testing of its oral calcitonin osteoporosis drug, BN002.
Results from the Phase I/IIa study show that BN002 is being delivered
orally and is biologically active, i.e. BN002 showed statistically significant
reductions in the breakdown of bone as measured by specific markers of
bone destruction in the blood. These data add to the positive safety
and tolerability data previously announced.
The clinical trial results represent a major step forward for Bone Medical
in the development of the osteoporosis product.
Bone Medical CEO Dr Jim Phillips said the company would now proceed to
full Phase II human clinical tests where issues such as dosage and formulation
optimisation will be investigated in addition to efficacy measures.
“We
are now in a position to take BN002 formally into the secondary stages
of clinical testing, which is a very important milestone for our company
and our shareholders,” said Dr Phillips. “There are currently
no oral versions of calcitonin available on the market and our goal of
advancing this therapy from its current nasal and injectable versions
has taken another significant step forward.
“We are very excited about the developments to date but we understand
we have some
hard work ahead,” said Dr Phillips.
“These latest results confirm important progress towards our dual
aims of successfully developing BN002 and making a significant impact
in the battle to treat osteoporosis as the incidence of the disease grows at
alarming rates. In addition these data augur well for our parathyroid hormone
project which uses the same Axcess oral delivery technology”.
BN002 oral calcitonin is Bone’s lead product and is designed to
treat the substantial and growing number of people suffering globally
from osteoporosis (currently US$8.9 billion annual drug expenditure per
annum globally).
Calcitonin is a natural hormone that has been used for more than 25 years
to treat osteoporosis. It is administered by injection or, more recently,
by nasal delivery. Currently total global sales of calcitonin products
are approximately A$1 billion per annum.
Bone Medical successfully listed on the Australian Stock Exchange on
3 September 2004 after a reverse takeover of Revenir Limited.
About Bone Medical Limited
Bone Medical Limited is an international biopharmaceutical development
company positioned to exploit the growing market in the treatment of
bone disease particularly in osteoporosis and arthritis. Bone has a portfolio
of biopharmaceutical development projects for the treatment of bone disease
including, oral calcitonin BN002, oral
parathyroid hormone BN003, TNF regulators BN006, bone cell regulators
BN005/BN008 and joint protection & collagen tolerance programme BN007.
Bone has been granted exclusive licenses from three owned subsidiaries
of its controlling shareholder, Proxima Concepts Limited, for the intellectual
property of those companies in the field of musculoskeletal therapies.
For more information about Bone Medical Limited, please contact:
| Dr Jim Phillips |
John Fitzgerald |
Ann M. Nahajski |
| Chief Executive Officer |
Chief Operating Officer |
Porter Novelli |
| +33 450734761 |
+61 8 9355 5123 |
+61 8 9386 1233 |
Or visit:
www.bone-ltd.com.
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