Midatech Pharma, a nanomedicine specialist announced this week that it has obtained affirmative results from a proof-of-concept (PoC) study that it has undertaken in collaboration with OpsiSporin – a treatment that has been indicated for eye inflammation. The study was undertaken to determine how efficient OpsiSporin would be when injected into the eye. These results were compared against three other methods: an oral dosage of Cyclosporin A, an immunosuppressant, untreated controls, and microsphere suspension vehicle injected directly in the eye.
The study showed that even with the administration of 4.5µg of OpsiSporin, the severity of the disease reduced significantly, as against the microsphere suspension vehicle. Further, the study showed a marked reduction in the severity of the infection even with a single ocular injection of OpsiSporin measuring 4.5µg as compared to daily oral dosage of 6.7 mg/kg every day of CsA.
Midatech said that the results speak volumes about the potential that OpsiSporin holds in providing autoimmune uveitis patients a much more efficient therapeutic alternative o CsA and steroids. Autoimmune uveitis is an inflammatory eye disease (noninfectious). The new alternative would also reduce the chances of adverse effects among patients, Midatech said.
According to Midatech’s chief executive, Dr Jim Philips, the encouraging results from the PoC study will prove to be a significant step ahead in the formulation of a sustained and effective release treatment for autoimmune uveitis.
The results also reflected that OpsiSporin was just as effective at one thousandth of the dose of CsA that were orally administered. This brings to the fore the immense value that Midatech’s microencapsulation technology can bring, taking the efficacy of existing therapeutic molecules to new levels.
The company now intends to launch clinical development by 2016 so as to take the product to the next stage.
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