Proteo, Inc. / Proteo Biotech AG: Elafin Combined with Cyclosporine Promises to Overcome Limitations of Cyclosporine for Prev...
13 March 2015 - 12:00AM
Business Wire
Proteo, Inc. (OTCQB: PTEO) and its wholly-owned subsidiary
Proteo Biotech AG today announced the publication of new results
from a group of researchers lead by Mark Nicolls at the Stanford
School of Medicine which demonstrate that Elafin and cyclosporine A
act synergistically to prevent the development of irreversible
damage to transplanted lung tissue in an animal model.
The survival of solid organ transplant recipients has
dramatically improved since the introduction of cyclosporine A, a
drug which suppresses the activity of T cells in the adaptive
immune system. It is well known that in addition neutrophils, the
dominant cell population of the innate immune system, are
associated with injury to transplanted lungs. The objective of the
study in a mouse tracheal transplant model was to determine whether
simultaneous suppression of the innate and adaptive immune
responses by a combination of the elastase inhibitor Elafin and
cyclosporine A would lead to better preservation of airway
microvasculature and architecture than targeting T cell activity
alone.
In this study, a marked positive synergistic effect on graft
oxygenation was observed using a combination of Elafin and
cyclosporine A. This is explained by the prevention of cyclosporine
A induced tissue damage and in addition by the complementary
inhibitory effects of both drugs on the innate and the adaptive
immune responses. The authors explain that Elafin may achieve its
therapeutic effects by reducing inflammation, reducing the
production of reactive oxygen species and endothelial cell
complement deposition, or by acting as an endothelial cell mitogen
to directly promote angiogenesis.
The researchers state: “Our study suggests that the suppression
of neutrophil elastase activity may represent a novel adjunctive
therapy for transplant recipients suffering acute rejection”.
Oliver Wiedow, Director of Proteo, Inc., said: “We are excited
about these results. They provide further evidence for potential
efficacy of Elafin in organ transplantation and give us greater
insight into the mechanisms of acute organ rejection”.
Further research on this topic is in progress at the Stanford
School of Medicine, funded by a grant from the National Heart, Lung
and Blood Institute for the study of Elafin’s ability to treat
three distinct lung diseases.
Source: Jiang et al., Cyclosporine Does Not Prevent
Microvascular Loss in Transplantation but Can Synergize With a
Neutrophil Elastase Inhibitor, Elafin, to Maintain Graft Perfusion
During Acute Rejection, American Journal of Transplantation, 2015
(doi: 10.1111/ajt.13189)
About Elafin
Proteo's pharmaceutical Elafin is a copy of a naturally
occurring human anti-inflammatory substance and promises an
excellent therapeutic risk-benefit profile. It is a potent
inactivator of tissue destroying neutrophil elastase and
proteinase-3, and was well tolerated in three randomized,
double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical studies.
Elafin’s ability to block tissue destroying proteases makes it a
promising drug e.g. for the prevention and treatment of tissue
damage occurring in the course of major surgery, pulmonary diseases
and severe reperfusion injury in organ transplantation.
Proteo is currently setting up a pivotal phase III clinical
trial for the prophylactic treatment of acute postoperative
complications following resection of esophageal cancer ("POSTCOM"
trial) after a phase II multi-center trial demonstrated that Elafin
treated patients needed a significantly shorter stay in the
intensive care unit as compared to placebo patients. In a second
phase II study in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass
surgery (CABG), a significant reduction of the circulating cardiac
damage marker Troponin I after 6 hours was observed in
Elafin-treated patients. Elafin has obtained orphan drug
designations within the EU and US for the use in pulmonary arterial
hypertension and esophagus carcinoma surgery.
About Proteo
Proteo is dedicated to the development of new orphan medications
in high medical need specialty markets. For its lead
investigational drug Elafin, Proteo seeks partners and investors
for the development, commercial scale manufacturing, marketing and
distribution of the product. Proteo, Inc. common stock is quoted on
the OTCQB under the symbol PTEO. The company has one wholly owned
subsidiary, Proteo Biotech AG, Kiel, Germany, where the company’s
main operations are located. (www.proteo.us)
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release may contain
forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under
the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by
those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact included
in this release, including, without limitation, statements
regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company, are
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be
accurate and actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical
complications that may arise could prevent the prompt
implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined
above. The company cautions that these forward looking statements
and risks and uncertainties involved are further qualified by other
factors including, but not limited to those set forth in the
company’s Form 10-K filing and other filings with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no
obligation to publicly update or revise any statements in this
release, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
Proteo Biotech AGDr. Jürgen PaalPhone: +49 431
8888-462Fax: +49 431 8888-463Email: ir@proteo.de
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