Cardiotrophin I to Start Phase I Clinical Studies

MADRID and OEIRAS, Portugal, March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Digna Biotech and Biotecnol (The Consortium) announced today that the Spanish Regulatory Medicine Agency has authorized the start of a Phase I Clinical Trial in healthy volunteers for Cardiotrophin-I (CT-I). The study will be conducted in Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro de Majadahonda in Madrid and Clínica Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, and will include 33 healthy volunteers.

Researchers from the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) discovered that CT-I is able to stimulate hepatic regeneration after partial hepatectomy, as well as to defend the liver against warm ischemia reperfusion injury. It also protects hepatocytes from death during an acute liver failure situation. Based on these data, CIMA obtained the intellectual property of CT-I for its use in hepatic diseases. The pre-clinical development of CT-I has been possible thanks to the financial support of ClaveSuan, the Center for the Industrial and Technological Development (CDTI) and the Government of Navarra.

The Consortium entered into an Exclusive Option and Licensing agreement with Genentech, Inc (a fully owned subsidiary of the Roche group) in September 2009.

About Cardiotrophin-I

CT-I is a member of the interleukin (IL) 6 family of cytokines. Our studies have demonstrated that the administration of recombinant CT-I produces a clear hepatoprotective effect in several animal models of liver failure and induces liver regeneration in partial hepatectomy models.

CT-I has been already granted Orphan Drug Status (EU/3/06/396) by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of ischemia/reperfusion injury associated with solid organ transplantation. It has also obtained FDA Orphan Status for liver transplantation.

About CIMA and Digna Biotech

CIMA (University of Navarra) brings pure research closer to its clinical application, carrying out high-quality scientific work in the service of humankind, combating diseases that cause great suffering and for which no cure has yet been discovered.

Digna Biotech is a biotechnological company focused on the development of products originated from CIMA. Currently, Digna's portfolio includes another two products under clinical development such as P144 and Interferon alpha-5.

About Biotecnol

Biotecnol is a developing biotechnology company with a special focus on novel antibody-based therapeutics to treat life-threatening diseases such as cancer. It has a proprietary antibody format called Tribodies(TM).

Further information can be found at http://www.cima.es; http://www.dignabiotech.com and http://www.biotecnol.com.