Anadis and Starpharma to Work Together on Respiratory Protection & Biodefense Applications
MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb. 1, 2005 - Anadis Ltd (ASX:ANX) and Starpharma Holdings Limited (ASX:SPL, USOTC:SPHRY) announced today that they have established a partnership to investigate applications of their combined technologies to respiratory protection and biodefense.
This research involves the use of polyclonal antibodies, harvested from bovine colostrum and combined with Starpharma’s nano-scale dendrimer molecules to provide immediate short term respiratory protection from airborne biological agents such as Anthrax and Plague.
"Both Anadis and Starpharma have substantial research programs in the fields of respiratory health and bio-defense, so this is a very natural scientific partnership. By combining Anadis’ technologies for large-scale antibody production and processing with Starpharma’s dendrimer nanotechnology we believe there is the possibility to create highly potent "molecular mops" to capture toxins or infectious agents before they cause harmful effects," stated Dr. John Raff, CEO of Starpharma.
"The threat of terrorism, as well as exposure to pathogens caused by natural disasters such as the Asian Tsunami, have created an urgent need for new technologies that offer fast-acting prevention or treatment. Combining the Starpharma and Anadis technologies offers a unique solution to these human health crises," commented Conor Graham, Managing Director and CEO of Anadis.
In February 2004, Anadis announced that it was the recipient of a substantial grant from the Commonwealth Department of Science and Technology for work on respiratory protection. Additionally, Anadis receives support from MARCE (the Mid-Atlantic Regional Centre of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases) headquartered in Baltimore, USA. The combined technology approach with Starpharma is one arm of this work.
About Anadis:
Anadis is a Melbourne based biopharmaceutical company, focusing on Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical products. Travelan, which reduces the risk of Travelers Diarrhoea, has been recently released into the Australian market. Travelan has been proven in hospital clinical trials to significantly decrease the risk of Travelers Diarrhoea and the symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders. Travelan is prepared from bovine colostrum, from cows hyper-immunized against the 13 most common strains of E.coli – the most common cause of Travelers Diarrhoea and works through the process of passive immunity transfer to the surface of the intestine.
Other Anadis projects include EV-71 a product against Enterovirus 71, a polio like disease affecting children in Taiwan and other parts of Asia, currently at the beginning of commercialisation; Pyloran, which has been clinically proven to reduce levels of bacteria in the stomach and reduce the symptoms of H.pylori associated gastritis; Bio-Shield 10 a range of "bio-shielding" technologies that protect delicate molecules, enzymes and proteins, initially targeted for use in the pro-biotic market, and Respiratory Protection technologies, a project in conjunction with the Australian Defence Forces and US Bio-Defence Organisations, initially focused on short-term immediate protection from airborne bacteria such as Anthrax and Plague, future applications include Hay Fever and Asthma. Anadis is also in early development of a H.pylori vaccine and has begun research into an Immune Stimulating Infant Formula.
About Starpharma:
Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX:SPL, USOTC:SPHRY) is focused on the development and application of dendrimer nanotechnologies as drugs against major diseases. Starpharma’s lead dendrimer product, VivaGel™ has received clearance from the US FDA for human clinical trials. VivaGel™ is a topical microbicide gel product that has been developed for women as a preventative against the sexual transmission of HIV. It is also active in animal studies for the prevention of other sexually transmitted diseases including genital herpes and chlamydia. Starpharma also has an equity interest in a US based company — Dendritic NanoTechnologies Inc. (DNT) — established with the US pioneer of dendrimer nanotechnology Dr. Donald A. Tomalia.
Microbicides A microbicide inactivates, kills or destroys microbes. Microbicides may be formulated as gels, creams, sponges, suppositories or films with the purpose of reducing significantly the incidence of STDs. There are currently no vaginal microbicides on the market. They are intended for vaginal or rectal use to afford protection for varying periods, from several hours up to days. Microbicides may also be designed to have a contraceptive function by inhibiting sperm.
Dendrimers Dendrimers are a type of nanoparticle. They are man-made chemicals that form tiny balls made up of a dense network of branches. Dendrimers have applications in the medical, electronics, chemicals and materials industries. |
