Syntara (SYN: $0.074) has released some longer-term data from its Phase Ib wound healing study.
Three months after the initial therapy, patients who received Syntara's drug compound, SNT-6302, in a topical application, achieved a statistically significant improvement (P = 0.03) in scar vascularisation over placebo, and a statistically significant improvement (P = 0.03) in extracellular matrix remodelling over placebo.
On a call last week with wound healing specialist Professor Fiona Wood, she said that current standard-of-care treatments do not address the underlying cause of the scar. Current treatments in- clude laser and steroid therapy. And in the more difficult to treat keloid scars, the recurrence rate is high, according to Professor Wood. In this study the enzyme that SNT-6302 is aiming to block is LOX (Lysyl Oxidase) which is involved in cross-linking of collagen and hence scarring. SNT-6302 achieved a 66% inhibition in patients' scars in this study.
Improved Formulation for Hypertropic Scars in Next Study with SNT-9465
One of the side effects from the previous study was that some patients experienced a redness of the skin from treatment, and were moved from daily treatment to treatment three times a week. Syntara has elected to modify the formulation of its wound healing treatment to avoid this side effect. The new compound has been labelled SNT-9465.
Whilst the side effect was minor and only in a few patients, CEO Gary Phillips said the company has elected to improve the formulation to address this issue so that it does not become an obstacle to any licensing discussions. It will also mean that patients should be able to remain on daily treatment to achieve the optimum effect.
The new formulation was developed by the company's in-house drug discovery and development team in Sydney.
Syntara will start a Phase I safety study next quarter which will progress to a Phase Ib study in patients with hypertropic scars. Patients will be treated for three months, the same as the previous study. Results from this study are expected in the first half of 2026. Hypertropic scars are easier to treat than keloid scars and are restricted to the original area of injury.
The patients in this study will have scars that are less than two years old, with the therapy expected to have a greater impact on more recent scarring. In the previous study, the average age of the scars treated in the 42 patients was 13 years!
One of the learnings from the previous study, not surprisingly, is that more established scars are more difficult to treat.
The new formulation will also provided new (extended) IP around the asset. Phillips said the company only files patents around specific compounds when they move into Phase I studies.
Phillips said the data from the previous study with SNT-6302 has de-risked the asset and allows Synatra to move ahead more quickly and decisively with the new formulation. He does not expect to be surprised from the forthcoming result having data from the previous trial.
If the trial goes as planned, Syntara will then move into a larger Phase II study.
Trials with SNT-6203 to Continue
Professor Wood's team in Perth will continue with the original for- mulation of the therapy (SNT-6203), investigating the longer-term impact on the more difficult-to-treat keloid scars.
Hypertropic scars get better with time, said Professor Wood, but keloid scars will not and will expand. There is also a greater volume of skin affected in keloid scars.
Summary
Syntara finished last year with a proforma cash balance in ex- cess of $20 million. Other milestones to come, other than results from the two new scar studies, includes more mature data from its myelofibrosis study, and results from its Parkinsons study early next year.
Bioshares recommendation: Speculative Buy Class A
Top Line Phase II data for SNT 5505 is now under 30 days away
SNT 7.2 cents Share Price??? MC $116m????
Topline Phase II data is one of the key Catalysts for a Biotech and delivers a substantial Inflection Point .... really SNT right about now should be breaking the last 52 week high as we drill down towards confirmation and completion of circa 5 Years of Trialing... maximising SH Value now comes down to direct company action...
Best of Luck to all invested NZT
