November 14, 2000 – XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ("XTL") (LSE: XTL) and Pharming Group N.V. ("Pharming") (EASDAQ: PHAR and AEX: PHAR) today announced the signing of an agreement to jointly evaluate and potentially co-develop recombinant human Lactoferrin (rhLF) as a treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Human Lactoferrin is a natural protein with antibiotic, probiotic, anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulating properties. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"This agreement with Pharming represents XTL's most advanced stage partnership to date and will provide depth to our increasing portfolio of potential therapeutics to treat HCV," stated Glenn Kazo, General Manager and Business Officer of XTL Biopharmaceuticals Inc., based in the United States. "We are confident that this collaboration with Pharming, combined with XTL's technology, will provide synergy to further develop our product pipeline."
Pharming's President and CEO George J. M. Hersbach commented that: "The co-development agreement with XTL offers us the opportunity to combine our technology with that of XTL's to evaluate and pursue the use of Pharming's rhLF as a treatment for Hepatitis C, a serious chronic disease that affects a rapidly increasing number of people worldwide."
The development of Pharming's recombinant human Lactoferrin (rhLF) as a potential treatment for infectious diseases is on track. Pharming successfully completed a phase I clinical trial of intravenously administered rhLF that demonstrated rhLF was well tolerated up to the highest dose of 60 mg/kg. This excellent safety profile, combined with promising data from pre-clinical studies, suggest that rhLF is a realistic therapeutic candidate for infectious diseases, including HCV. |
