Pergamum announces that the first patient has been dosed with a potential new treatment for hard-to-heal wounds
STOCKHOLM – September 11, 2012. Pergamum AB announced today that dosing has begun in a randomized Phase I/II trial of its drug candidate LL-37 for the treatment of patients with hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers. Karolinska Development AB is the majority owner of Pergamum.
"Non-healing wounds are a huge burden for the individual patient and for the health care system. Today, there are an estimated 15 million patients with chronic wounds globally, and virtually no medical progress has been made in this area over the last few decades", said Jonas Ekblom, CEO of Pergamum AB. "This clinical trial will allow us to evaluate a promising new treatment, based on the body’s own immune defense, for patients with venous leg ulcers. The ultimate goal is to accomplish faster healing and improved quality of life for patients who typically have a poor prognosis."
In this double blind multicenter study, patients with chronic leg ulcers will be randomized to receive either placebo treatment or one of three different doses of LL-37. The primary objective of the trial is to assess the safety and tolerability of Pergamum’s proprietary formulation of the therapeutic peptide LL-37. The Phase I/II study is expected to enroll 32 patients. The principal investigator is Dr. Ola Rollman, associate professor at the Department of Medicine at Uppsala University, Sweden.
"This is the third drug candidate developed by Pergamum to enter clinical development. It is primarily a safety study but we will also be able to see early signs of potential efficacy”, said Torbjörn Bjerke, CEO of Karolinska Development AB and Chairman of the Board of Pergamum." The progress of LL-37 into human trials is yet another sign of our ability to bring our project portfolio to maturity."
For further information, please contact:
Jonas Ekblom, President and CEO, Pergamum AB
Phone: +46 (0)8 470 37 40, e-mail: jonas.ekblom@pergamum.com
Torbjörn Bjerke, CEO, Karolinska Development AB
Phone: +46 (0)72 744 41 23, e-mail: torbjorn.bjerke@karolinskadevelopment.com
TO THE EDITORS
About Pergamum
Pergamum is a biopharmaceutical company specialized in the development of therapeutic peptides for local application in infections and wounds. Within Pergamum, projects are managed as fully integrated operating units. The company’s vision is to develop a portfolio of unique development programs representing high medical value that ultimately, through global partnerships, will result in first-in-class and first-in-category products. The current development pipeline includes three therapeutic peptides, with potential for use in several medical applications. Please visit our web site: www.pergamum.com
About Karolinska Development AB
Karolinska Development aims to create value for investors, patients, and researchers by developing innovations from world class science into products that can be sold or out-licensed with high returns. The business model is to: SELECT the most commercially attractive medical innovations; DEVELOP innovations to the stage where the greatest return on investment can be achieved; and COMMERCIALIZE the innovations through the sale of companies or out-licensing of products. An exclusive deal flow agreement with Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB, along with other cooperation agreements with leading Nordic universities, delivers a continuous flow of innovations. Today, the portfolio consists of 35 projects, of which 15 are in clinical development. For more information, please visit www.karolinskadevelopment.com.
Karolinska Development is listed on NASDAQ OMX. Karolinska Development may be required to disclose the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Markets Act.
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