Bone Medical ties up BN006 research collaboration

THE ROADHOUSE PHARMACY: Bone Medical Ltd (ASX: BNE) has entered into a research agreement with William Harvey Research Limited (WHRL), to further study the company’s anti-inflammatory molecule for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), BN006, and support its progress towards clinical studies in man.

WHRL is part of the William Harvey Research Institute in London and a world leading independent centre for pharmacological research.

Bone Medical chief scientific officer Dr Roger New explained that in previous experiments BN006 has demonstrated efficacy in an RA disease model that was similar to the current market-leading product but with reduced inhibition of an important immune system marker.

“This could represent the profile of a breakthrough new medicine for RA with potentially less risk of the immunosuppressive side effects that limit current treatments–and given orally rather than by injection,” New said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

New comments were supported by world-renowned expert in physio-pharmacology and inflammation professor Rod Flower, who is overseeing the collaboration.

Flower noted that despite treatment advances for inflammatory and auto-immune diseases like RA, a need existed for more selective new products that have less suppressive effects on the normal functioning of the immune system.

“Understanding the mechanism of action of BN006 may point the way to an entirely new class of therapeutic agent for this category of disease,” professor Flower said.

The collaboration is being funded by funds raised under Bone Medical’s recently completed recapitalisation.

The company said the results will potentially position BN006 for Phase 1 human trials in the near future.

Bone Medical noted the top three products for auto-immune diseases like RA turned over US$25billion in 2012.

Website: www.bone-ltd.com