Hadasit Bio Holdings Ltd. (TASE:HDST) portfolio company Thrombotech Technologies Ltd. has obtained Ministry of Health approval to begin a Phase I human clinical trial of its stroke treatment, a peptide, THR-18, which is administered alongside existing stroke treatments.
The trial will include 40 healthy volunteers to test the safety of THR-18 to enable its possible use for a range of indications, including heart attacks, traumatic brain injury, lung embolisms, and blocked arteries and veins in the legs and arms. The trial is scheduled to begin later at Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, in the first quarter of 2010.
New preclinical animal trials of the peptide also indicate that it may be effective in treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). On the basis of these findings, Thrombotech has filed a patent application and will consider pursuing development of the peptide for these indications with multinational pharmaceutical companies.
Thrombotech chief science officer Dr. Abd Al-Roof Higazi co-founded the company on the basis of his research at Hadassah Medical Center.
Hadasit - the Technology Transfer Company of Hadassah Medical Organization subsidiary Hadasit Bio owns 23.9% of Thrombotech, Nochi Dankner-controlled IDB Holding Corp. Ltd. (TASE:IDBH) life sciences investment unit Clal Biotechnology Industries Ltd. (TASE: CBI) owns 40%, and Ofer Holdings Group venture capital arm Ofer Hi Tech Ltd. owns 25%. According to IVC, the company has raised $3.1 million since it was founded in 2000.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 4, 2010
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