Patients who suffer from permanent scars are one step closer to a treatment that could alleviate both the physical and mental effects thanks to promising interim data released by clinical stage pharmaceuticals company Pharmaxis (ASX: PXS) and a team at the University of Western Australia, led by Professor Fiona Wood AM.
The trial of drug PXS-6302 commenced three months ago with 24 patients out of a targeted 50 patients enrolled in the SOLARIA2 study. Each enrolled into the trials having had a permanent scar of more than 10cm2in size, and had been receiving the topical treatment at the University of Western Australia (UWA) under Prof Wood’s guidance.
The 8 patients who commenced the first round of treatments were all receiving the Pharmaxis drug PXS-6302. They had skin biopsies taken at the end of the 3 months of treatment that showed excellent penetration of the skin, with inhibition of the lysyl oxidase enzymes that are responsible for the formation of scars.
Professor Fiona Wood said, “We have noted positive changes in appearance and pliability of scars in those patients on active drug that now need to be confirmed by the results from the placebo controlled phase of this trial later this year.”
“We are learning a lot as we move from the promising pre‐clinical work done at UWA and into the clinic where we have many patients who are in great need of a treatment that can improve both the cosmetic appearance of their scars and improve the functionality of their scarred skin; factors that have a huge impact on patient’s wellbeing.”
