Melbourne, April 21, 2008 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX:SPL, OTCQX:SPHRY) today announced that recent studies have shown that SPL7013, the active ingredient in its topical microbicide VivaGel(R), inhibits clinically-relevant strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) in laboratory tests.
Starpharma CEO, Dr Jackie Fairley said: "These are exciting results which have positive implications for VivaGel(R), and which merit further investigation. In the light of these, it is possible that VivaGel(R) has potential for reducing the risk of Genital HPV infection, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States."
In the US alone, 6.2 million people are newly infected with HPV each year.
Studies conducted in the laboratories of Professor Ian Frazer (University of Queensland, Australia) and Dr John Schiller (National Cancer Institute, USA) have demonstrated that SPL7013 is a potent inhibitor of several HPV strains in vitro. In these tests SPL7013 has demonstrated activity against HPV strains responsible for genital / cutaneous warts (HPV-5, -6) and cancercausing HPV strains (HPV-16 & -45). Testing of other clinically relevant HPV strains is ongoing.
An interesting finding of the recent study is that SPL7013 showed potent inhibition of HPV-45, one of the strains commonly associated with cervical cancer which is not covered by existing HPV vaccines.
Typically HPV infects the skin and mucous membranes of the penis, vulva, anus and the linings of the vagina, cervix, and rectum. A subset of HPV strains can lead to precancerous lesions that often progress to invasive cancer. HPV infection is a factor in the development of the majority of cases of cervical cancer.
VivaGel(R) is a vaginal microbicide currently under clinical development for the prevention of transmission of HIV and genital herpes (HSV-2). This HPV testing was undertaken as part of Starpharma's strategy to explore the potential of VivaGel(R) in other sexually transmitted infections.
Dendrimers: A type of precisely-defined, branched nanoparticle. Dendrimers have applications in the medical, electronics, chemicals and materials industries.
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Forward Looking Statements
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Contact
Dr Jackie Fairley
Chief Executive Officer
+61 3 8532 2704
Ben Rogers
Company Secretary
+61 3 8532 2702
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