Ferrets Stock to Watch: APOLLO LIFE SCIENCES LTD08:41, Friday,...

Ferrets Stock to Watch: APOLLO LIFE SCIENCES LTD
08:41, Friday, February 23, 2007

BREAKTHROUGH IN ORAL DELIVERY FOR ARTHRITIS SUFFERERS

Sydney - Friday - February 23: (RWE Aust Business News)
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OVERVIEW
********

Ferret has kept a watchful eye on Apollo Life Sciences (ASX:AOP)
over the past six months in the hope that the biotech researcher makes a
major breakthrough.

This week the company produced a report that looks seriously
encouraging in relation to arthritis.

Apollo has successfully reduced inflammation with oral doses of
Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF) blocker.

The preclinical studies used Oradel, Apollo's technology for oral
delivery of large water-soluble proteins, including insulin and
antibodies.

The company says that like people with diabetes, patients
prescribed TNF blockers for inflammation associated with rheumatoid
arthritis currently have no alternative to injections.

Apollo is aiming for the global market for TNF blockers estimated
to be almost $13 billion in 2006, and growing at more than 30 per cent a
year.

The statement to the ASX disclosed results from the preclinical
studies, and indicated that oral doses of Apollo TNF blocker ALS-00T2
using Oradel significantly reduced inflammation to a comparable degree to
subcutaneous injection of the molecule.

In the studies, inflammation was induced using carrageenan.

Solutions were administered daily, either by subcutaneous
injection or orally and swelling was measured twice daily.

The carrageenan model is classically used in the development of
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The studies showed that the Oradel technology can be used to
deliver an antibody-sized drug, such as Apollo ALS-00T2, in a more
convenient form than is now possible.

Large proteins and antibody-based drugs are a growing class of
therapeutics that still need to be injected because they are usually
destroyed by the stomach's digestive acids.

A second major application for the Oradel platform is currently
in development for oral insulin.

Oradel protects the protein in the stomach and makes sure the
drug travels across the stomach wall to where it can work, said Apollo's
director of science, Dr Greg Russell-Jones.

"This is a breakthrough," he declared.

"We understand no-one else has been able to deliver antibodies
and large proteins such as TNF blockers in tablet form."

These latest studies show that Oradel can be used to deliver a
wide range of the drugs already in the global protein therapeutics
market.

Antibodies are the fastest growing segment of that market and
were estimated to represent a quarter of it in 2005.

The company said most people will prefer tablets to injections
for these drugs, so there is a ready-made market for Oradel products.

SHARE PRICE MOVEMENTS
*********************

Shares of Apollo yesterday slipped 2.5c to 46c in reaction to
yesterday's climbed to 52c following its latest research report. Rolling
high for the year is 85c and low 30c. The company has 89.4 million shares
on issue with a market cap of $46.4 million.

At the beginning of February, Apollo Life Sciences announced that
the final report confirms the success of its oral insulin in Phase 1
toxicology trials.

Apollo's oral insulin consists of Oradel, loaded with generic
insulin.

The treatment proved safe at both low and high doses.

The toxicology study was designed to test the safety of Apollo's
oral insulin for people with diabetes.

Oradel insulin was administered daily to two animal species for
14 days, followed by a 14-day recovery period.

Control groups received treatment with the vehicle alone.

The key findings are that Oradel insulin caused no toxic effects
or treatment-related changes in body weights, food consumption, blood
analysis, urinalysis, gross necroscopy or histopathology.

"These favourable results provide strong supporting safety data
for taking our oral insulin to Phase 1 human clinical trials, which we
expect to undertake in the coming months," Dr Russell-Jones said.

Diabetes is responsible for approximately four million deaths
worldwide every year.

It is estimated that there are now 246 million people with
diabetes, growing to 380 million by 2025.

A recent United Nations resolution calling on all countries to
develop national policies for the prevention, treatment and care of
diabetes acknowledges global concern at the prevalence of diabetes.

"Our innovative oral insulin could mean the end of needles for
many people with diabetes.

Some need up to five insulin shots a day to manage their
condition, said Dr Russell-Jones.

"It is only a matter of time before we enter the marketplace with
our insulin in a tablet, and we believe that most people prefer to take a
tablet instead of an injection," he added.

BACKGROUND
**********

Apollo Life Sciences was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange
on June 29, 2005.

The company focused on developing and commercialising human
proteins for treatment of disease and ageing.

It also has a number of therapeutic products currently in
development.

Apollo Life is developing therapeutics to combat such diseases as
Psoriasis, Hepatitis C, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid arthritis,
Alzheimer's, strokes and Stents.

It has also conducted preliminary work on proteins that target
Hepatitis B, HIV, Dementia, Parkinson's disease and certain types of
cancer.

Apollo is in the pre-clinical stages of testing products for hair
regrowth, hair removal and skin rejuvenation.

The company offers research reagents to scientists for pure and
applied biological experiments which it believes are are more suitable
for research because of their human-like properties.

ENDS

Copyright © 2007 RWE Australian Business News. All rights reserved.