Immuron widens scope for liver treatment

Immuron’s (ASX:IMC) treatment candidate IMM-124E, which is being tested in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is being evaluated for more liver-related indications.

The US FDA has cleared an Investigational New Drug submission relating to IMM-124E for the treatment of alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH).

The principal investigator in a planned phase IIb trial of IMM-124E in NASH has already been awarded a grant from the US-based National Institutes of Health for a separate trial in ASH. The ASH trial will be conducted by the TREAT (Translational Research and Evolving Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment) consortium.

NASH and ASH have different causes, but both result in liver damage that can progress to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatic carcinoma. As a result, Immuron said it expects the ASH trial to help further inform its NASH trial.

Immuron submitted an IND for IMM-124E in NASH during November 2011 and the FDA cleared the application in January 2012.

The trial will involve six months of active treatment and will be conducted at sites in Australia, the US and Israel.

Immuron separately announced that the results of an animal study of IMM-124E in a model of liver fibrosis have been presented at the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD).

Based on the study, IMM-124E was presented as a potential therapeutic for the prophylaxis, treatment or alleviation of fibrosis.

“Whilst the number of patients suffering from fibrosis in different organs is difficult to ascertain, the results that were presented at the AASLD support our expectation that IMM‐124E is a potential therapeutic for a large range of fatty liver patients including those with fibrosis of the liver,” Immuron CEO Amos Meltzer said.

As with Travelan, Immuron’s approved OTC medication for traveller’s diarrhoea, IMM-124E is derived from bovine colostrum enriched with Immuron antibodies.

Immuron (ASX:IMC) shares were trading 14.29% higher at $0.008 as of around 1.30 pm on Friday.