Giaconda touts results for H. Pylori, Crohn's disease

Sydney-based Giaconda (ASX:GIA) has reported positive results from phase II trials of two of its compounds, Heliconda for Helicobacter pylori infection and Myoconda for Crohn's disease.

Giaconda published results of its phase II clinical trial of Heliconda, a treatment for the resistant form of the infection H. pylori, the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and can lead to cancer, in a peer-reviewed journal.

"At Giaconda we feel it is necessary that our investors know when our results are published in peer-reviewed publications," said Giaconda chief operating officer Rosa Surace. "This is important so that the medical and scientific community is informed and critiques our research, as they are ultimately the people who will prescribe our products when they become available.

"We are a company based upon many years of research. Becoming a public company has reinforced our focus, which is conducting clinical research to form the basis of the approval for our products to be sold on the market. The publication of our research in peer-reviewed journals is a step towards keeping the medical and scientific community up to date on our progress."

In the study, Heliconda achieved eradication in 90.8 per cent of 130 patients who had failed one or more eradication attempts using standard triple therapy. Side effects were mild and the presence of antibiotic resistant strains no significant impact on the in effectiveness of the product. The results are published in the February issue of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Crohn's disease results

Meanwhile, results of the retrospective analysis from the phase II trial of 53 patients treated with Giaconda's Myoconda for a minimum of six months demonstrated some of the highest efficacy levels ever shown in the treatment of Crohn's disease, the company claimed.

The phase II study found 65 per cent of patients showed complete remission and over 95 per cent showed marked improvement. One patient has been in remission for nine and a half years, Giaconda said.

Myoconda is currently in clinical and manufacturing development and has completed a large phase IIIa clinical trial in Australia. A second phase III study is being planned, and phase III trials are dependent on whether Giaconda can license the product to another firm.

The Myoconda results were presented in a poster at the recent Australian Gastroenterology Week meeting in Brisbane.

Giaconda listed on the ASX in September 2005, raising AUD$6 million to commercialise products based on the work of Prof Tom Borody, founder of the Centre for Digestive Diseases (CDD) in Sydney.