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EPISTEM ANNOUNCE COLLABORATIO
EPISTEM ANNOUNCE COLLABORATIO.
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[{"type":"text","content":"\n RNS Number : 7778Z EpiStem Holdings plc 24 July 2008 \nFor Release 24th July 2008\n\nEPISTEM ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION WITH HUMANTICS CORPORATION\n\nEpistem (LSE:EHP), the UK biotechnology and contract research company announced today that it has been selected by Humanetics Corporation of Minnesota, USA, to provide specialised preclinical efficacy testing services for agents likely to protect the intestinal epithelium from subsequent radiation damage. Under an appropriation award to Humanetics from the US Department of Defense, over the next 12 months Epistem will screen potential drug candidates that may ultimately be adopted by the Armed Forces as prophylactic agents to be taken where there is risk of radiation exposure or nuclear attack. Such agents should reduce the level of intestinal related radiation sickness and improve morbidity and mortality.\n\nEpistem is an established provider of similar assays for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Medical Countermeasures against Radiological and Nuclear Threats (MCART) and also in the area of oncology supportive care. The assays provide quantitative and mechanistic data to assess the efficacy of novel drug candidates, and help define optimum dose scheduling.\n\nJohn L. Zenk, MD, the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Humanetics said 'The tests performed by Epistem should identify agents that will reduce the levels of ulceration, diarrhoea, anorexia and ideally also fatalities caused by radiation exposure. Epistem currently provides the industry standard systems for measuring the levels of gastrointestinal damage and are enormously experienced in this area'\n\nDr Catherine Booth, head of Epistem's contract research division commented: 'This project perfectly complements our work with MCART. The current contract with Humanetics will test agents that may be taken prior to radiation exposure, in situations of high risk, whereas MCART are evaluating agents that mitigate damage following exposure. Both types of drugs also have therapeutic applications in oncology supportive care, the area for which we first developed and validated these assays, and possibly in other related intestinal wound healing situations, such as inflammatory bowel disease.'\n\n For further information, please contact:\n\nMatthew Walls &nb...