Source: The Adelaide Advertiser
SUCCESSFUL trials of an anti-anxiety drug has thrust Adelaide company Bionomics into the spotlight.
Shares in Bionomics are soaring 13 per cent after results for two Phase 1b trials in France on its BNC210 anti-anxiety treatment were released.
"We are thrilled" chief executive Dr Deborah Rathjen said this morning.
"Both studies were designed to demonstrate the value of BNC210 as an innovative new generation scientific treatment for anxiety and depression and the results confirm the drug's potential," Dr Rathjen said.
Anxiety affects 19 million patients in the US and is worth up to $US12 billion a year with sales of "blockbuster" drugs such as Valium, Prozac and Effexor, she said.
"These drugs are not ideal and BNC210 repesents a next generation treatment for anxiety which stands out as free of the serious side-effects"
Trials induced panic attacks in healthy volunteers by given them peptide CCK-4. About 15 of 59 volunteers experienced a panic attacks.
"BNC210 treatment was consistent with a return to a normal state very rapidly after the panic attack, within 10 minutes," Dr Rathjen said.
The attack went on for an hour for those on a placebo.
"With a panic attack people can feel extremely anxious and fearful that they may have another attack. (With BNC210) they returned to baseline very quickly with no emotional instability," she said.
The drug was also compared with Valium-like anti-anxiety drug Lorazepam on measures of attention, memory, co-ordination, addiction and sedation.
The Bionomics drug lacked any side-effects seen on all measures for Lorazepam, trials revealed.
Bionomics project leader Dr Sue O'Connor said she was "delighted" that the human trial results were consistent with animal studies.
Dr Rathjen said the company was now well placed to deal with competing pharmaceutical companies to develop the drug further.
"The strategy has always been to do a deal with a larger Pharma company and obviously return some of the upside with licensing," she said.
"We won't rush it. We're looking for a deal consistent with industry standards."
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