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Biotech / Medical : Micrologix biotech -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Carter Berezay who wrote (769)	7/10/2001 11:05:24 AM
From: DaveAu	Respond to of 792

dailynews.yahoo.com Tuesday July 10 1:26 AM ET Staph Bacteria Active Gene Swapper By PAUL RECER, AP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Staph bacteria can quickly swap genes with relatives to turn into virulent, dangerous germs that can cause disease and resist antibiotics, a new study shows. In a report appearing Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, federal researchers said they used a new technology to learn that Staphylococcus aureus could grab new genes from nearby bacteria to adapt itself to a changing environment. Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, is an extremely troublesome bacterium that causes a variety of illnesses. It is a major cause of hospital-acquired infection. Staph causes such things as the scalded skin disease that strikes infants, toxic shock syndrome and systemic blood poisoning called sepsis. Antibiotics once controlled the bacteria, but strains of staph are now resistant to the drugs. ``This is the first time we've been able to do such an extensive genetic comparison of these strains of Staphylococcus aureus,'' said Dr. James M. Musser, senior author of the study and head of a bacterial research lab at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease's Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Mont. NIAID is one of the National Institutes of Health. In the study, Musser and his colleagues analyzed the genes of 36 of the most troublesome strains of staph and concluded that virtually any of the bacteria's 2,817 strains could acquire the genes to become resistant to antibiotics. ``This is occurring at a far more greater frequency than we anticipated,'' said Musser. ``The drug resistant strains can be created many times. It is not a single strain that is created once and then spreads.'' Instead, he said the genetic combination that provides resistance can arise independently in many different places, many different times. Such an easy evolution of drug resistance ``has sent a wave of terror through people responsible for public health,'' said Dr. Abigail A. Salyers, a microbe researcher at the University of Illinois, Urbana. ``They know this organism will become a major pathogen if antibiotics no longer work.'' Salyers, who is president of the American Society for Microbiology, said the work by Musser and his group is important because it confirms what has long been suspected - that whole gene structures can jump from bacteria to bacteria, creating new strains of antibiotic resistant bugs within a matter of hours. ``One of the important findings in this paper is that the anti-bacterial resistance gene is being acquired by lateral transfer,'' or from bacteria-to-bacteria, she said. This has long been suspected, but Salyers said the Musser paper presents new evidence. Staph is among the most common human bacteria, carried by about a third of the population. It can be picked up from countertops or door knobs, but is more frequently transferred through skin-to-skin contact, such as shaking hands. The bacteria can invade the body through breaks in the skin and set up a virulent systemic infection, particularly among people with weakened immune systems - infants, the elderly, the injured or the ill. Salyers said that that thousands of people die annually of staph infection, but once the death toll was even higher. Before World War II, more than half of all fatalities in wars came from wounds that were infected by staph or other bacteria, said Salyers. A simple, untreated scratch on the hand or foot often was enough to set off a raging and lethal infection. Antibiotics beat staph into the medical background, but starting in the 1980s, antibiotic resistant strains evolved. Drugs that once worked suddenly did not. Salyers said staph is back and presenting a significant new threat while researchers scramble to learn more about ways to fight it. ``Virtually anything new we find out about staph aureus is an important finding because of its potential as a major public health threat,'' said Salyers. - On the Net: American Society for Microbiology: microbe.org Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: eurekalert.org

To: Carter Berezay who wrote (769)	7/16/2001 11:20:03 AM
From: Tim Rogers	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 792

Not entirely unexpected but MBI better come up with some other hard results quick or this one is headed south. --- Micrologix Announces Results of Phase Ib Trial for MBI 853NL Releases New Anti-Inflammatory Data Promising for Acne Program Trading Symbol: TSE: MBI US OTC: MGIXF Website: www.mbiotech.com VANCOUVER, July 16 /CNW/ - Micrologix Biotech Inc. today announced that based on the analysis of data from the Phase Ib trial of MBI 853NL for preventing hospital-acquired Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections and projected future clinical trial requirements, the Company has decided not to proceed to a Phase II efficacy study. Micrologix will instead focus its resources on other products in its pipeline, including two more clinically advanced and promising products: MBI 594AN for the treatment of acne (Phase II) and MBI 226 for the treatment of catheter-related bloodstream infections (Phase III). Micrologix also announced new preclinical data that shows significant anti-inflammatory activity for its peptides, which further supports MBI 594AN in the treatment of acne. MBI 853NL Phase Ib Results The Phase Ib trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the safety and tolerability of MBI 853NL applied intranasally to healthy volunteers who were persistent carriers of nasal S. aureus. Data from the study found that MBI 853NL was safe, well tolerated and resulted in a decreased number of S. aureus organisms in all MBI 853NL-treated groups. "While the suspension of the MBI 853NL program comes as a disappointment, the data confirms that the product is safe and reduces the number of S. aureus organisms following treatment," said William (Bud) Foran, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Micrologix. "Based on the level of reduction seen and our experience in screening subjects for this trial, we believe that the future clinical development program for MBI 853NL would involve greater risk, time and costs than we can justify. We will now focus our resources on our later- stage products that are more promising and carry greater near-term market potential. We will also accelerate the development of additional pre-clinical compounds based on our proprietary platform technology." Anti-Inflammatory Properties of MBI Peptides Promising for Acne Program and Other Dermatological Applications Acne is the most common inflammatory skin disease of adolescence and early adulthood. New preclinical data demonstrate that Micrologix's peptides have significant anti-inflammatory properties. In an in vivo animal model of hypersensitivity (allergic reaction), MBI's peptides showed a marked reduction in the inflammatory response, similar to that of hydrocortisone, which is acknowledged to be a potent anti-inflammatory agent. This important property strengthens the data to support that MBI 594AN, currently in a Phase II clinical trial, will be effective in treating acne. Previously, the Company has reported preclinical and clinical data on the antibacterial properties of MBI 594AN, including activity against antibiotic-resistant strains of Propionibacterium acnes - the most important bacterium associated with acne. In addition to acne, this data suggests that MBI's peptides hold promise for treating other dermatological conditions. About Micrologix Micrologix develops novel drugs targeted at severe and life-threatening diseases - particularly those caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The Company's portfolio of antibiotic drug candidates is based on improved analogs of naturally occurring cationic peptides found in the host defense systems of most life forms. Micrologix currently has two drugs in clinical trials in the United States: MBI 226 for preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections in Phase III clinical trials and MBI 594AN for treating acne in Phase II. The Company's common shares are included in the TSE 300 Composite Index. (signed) --------------------------- William J. (Bud) Foran Chairman, President & CEO The foregoing news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements frequently, but not always use the words "expects", "anticipates", "suggests", "plans", "believes" or "intends", or similar words and/or include statements concerning the Company's strategies, goals and plans, or state that certain actions, events or results "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of the company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, those described in the Company's annual report on Form 20-F, including the following: uncertainties related to early stage of development, technology and product development; dependence on future corporate collaborations; dependence on proprietary technology and uncertainty of patent protection; management of growth; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional funding; intense competition; manufacturing and market uncertainties; government regulation; product liability exposure and insurability. The Toronto Stock Exchange and the Canadian Venture Exchange have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.