Anadis hopes to extend Travelan uses

Melbourne biopharma Anadis (ASX:ANX) is investigating the use of its over-the-counter traveller's diarrhoea product, Travelan, for additional gastrointestinal therapeutic indications.

"We received positive feedback from people who use Travelan and have some sort of irritable bowel disease and that started our scientific people thinking." said Anadis CEO Conor Graham.

After a review of clinical evidence, the Anadis scientific subcommittee has agreed to conduct a single arm, uncontrolled pilot study in patients with stable irritable bowel disease in whom Travelan will be added to their current treatment. Any beneficial therapeutic effect of Travelan will be assessed through the use of widely accepted disease activity markers, the company said.

"The scientific subcommittee is currently finalising the pilot study protocol and the whole process should be completed within the next nine months. A major advantage is that Travelan is already available over the counter," said Graham.

Inflammatory bowel disease is the collective term given to two conditions, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These two disorders, primarily of the lower gastrointestinal tract (large bowel or colon) are characterised by inflammation of the intestine resulting in abdominal pain, diarrhoea (often bloody) and weight loss. The cause of both conditions is unknown although there is increasing evidence that dysfunction between the patients' immune system and the gut flora may play a role in continuing disease activity.

Travelan is based on antibodies from bovine colostrum, the 'first milk' of dairy cows which have been specifically immunised with antigens from pathogenic human bacteria and viruses, such as strains of E. coli bacteria that cause traveller's diarrhoea. Travelan contains antibodies to 14 pathogenic strains of E. coli bacteria found in water supplies around the world.

In October 2005, Anadis was given a green light to sell Travelan in the US and is currently in discussions with prospective partners in the US market to begin sales of Travelan at the earliest opportunity. Meanwhile, first sales of Travelan into the Canadian market are anticipated to begin as early as next month. Anadis is in the process of negotiating other international distribution and registration agreements in markets including Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Europe and South Africa.