Cellmid 2017 Annual Report
10
CEO
REPORT
CONTINUED
LYRAMID LIMITED – MK ANTIBODY
AND DIAGNOSTIC PROGRAMS
Lyramid continued to explore clinical opportunities for its
MK antibody assets through collaborations with leading
research institutes in Australia and around the world.
Following is a brief outline of the studies that have delivered
results or commenced during FY2017.
BONE HEALING IN OSTEOPOROSIS
- UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTRE, ULM
(GERMANY)
In July 2016 Dr Astrid Liedert from the Institute of
Orthopedic Research and Biomechanics, University
Medical Center Ulm, published the results of an important
MK antibody study in PLoS ONE entitled “Inhibition of
Midkine Augments Osteoporotic Fracture Healing”.
The study, following a previous publication showing
that treatment with Cellmid’s MK antibody accelerated
bone fracture healing in otherwise normal rodents (ASX
announcement, 24 June 2016), assessed the therapeutic
benefit of MK antibodies in the important clinical setting of
osteoporosis.
The findings demonstrated that MK antibodies were
effective in accelerating bone healing in osteoporotic
settings. The data has added to the growing body of
efficacy data on Lyramid’s MK antibodies. The clinical
opportunity to deliver benefit to elderly patients with
fragile bones that are prone to debilitating and sometime
fatal fractures is significant.
Post-menopausal women have over 30% chance of
osteoporotic fractures after the age of 50. Osteoporotic
patients have reduced regeneration capacity and require
considerably more time for successful fracture healing.
Apart from the reduced quality of life and extra health care
costs associated with recuperation following osteoporotic
fractures, immobility due to fractures can cause severe,
sometimes life-threatening, complications in the elderly.
Adding to the already considerable intellectual property
assets of Lyramid, patent applications have been filed prior
to publication of these results covering MK antibodies
for fracture healing and restoring bone loss due to
osteoporosis.
GLIBLASTOMA - COMPLUTENSE UNIVERSITY,
MADRID (SPAIN)
Lyramid’s research collaboration with Complutense
University, Spain, has resulted in data showing MK
antibodies are effective in improving tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC) treatment response in animal models of cannabinoid
resistant glioblastoma multiforme; one of the most
common and aggressive forms of brain cancer.
Currently, there is no effective treatment for glioblastoma,
with tumours recurring even after the most intensive
combination of surgery, radio- and chemotherapy. Existing
treatments only extend survival from three months to just
over a year, with very few glioblastoma patients surviving
beyond three years. Cellmid’s collaborators at Complutense
University in Madrid have previously shown that high levels
of MK were found to be associated with aggressive tumours
and poor survival in glioblastoma patients.