Patrys reports positive early stage data from melanoma clinical trial

Shares in Melbourne biotech Patrys jumped by 15 per cent by late morning after the company announced today that it has completed treatment of the first patient group in the melanoma trial of its natural human antibody product PAT-SM6.

No safety issues were reported with the company now ready to start a second group of patients at a higher dose.

PAT-SM6 is a natural human antibody that has proven effective against several different types of cancer including melanoma. Patrys said that product is the also the first reported clinical product to target GRP78, which is a protein on the surface of cancer cells known to be key to their survival growth and metastases.

The first group of three patients were treated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) Cancer Centre before moving on to the Pain and Anaesthesia Research Clinic, which is onsite at the RAH. The first patient was treated on October 19 this year, with the last completing treatment on November 1.

Patrys said that it is well on track to meeting its June 2011 deadline for completing the trial, which will involve a total of 10 patients divided into three separate dose categories.

“We are very satisfied with the progress of this trial, both in terms of the product appearing safe to date, and the rate at which we are able to recruit patients,” said Patrys Chief Medical Officer and President, Dr Marie Roskrow.

Patrys CEO, Dan Devine, added: "Advancing promising products through clinical development involves a number of important operational capabilities, including being able to produce quality material at large scale and recruiting patients for clinical trials in a timely fashion. Patrys has done both well with respect to the PAT-SM6 melanoma trial, which gives us great confidence going forward both for the development of PAT-SM6 and other Patrys lead products."