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06 July 2004
Auckland, New Zealand, 06 July 2004 - Genesis Research and Development Corporation (NZX/ASX:GEN) today announced that recruitment is complete for the Phase II trial of its childhood eczema therapeutic candidate, AVAC™. The randomised, placebo-controlled trial has enrolled 120 children aged from 5 to 16 years who suffer from childhood eczema, or paediatric atopic dermatitis. It commenced in October 2003 and is being conducted across the Auckland and South Auckland regions under the direction of Professor Innes Asher and Dr Wendy Walker with The University of Auckland, Kidz First and Starship providing clinical and research expertise. Professor Asher is well known internationally for her key role in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). This major study, covering 104 countries, is run by an international steering committee, which she chairs. “Atopic eczema is the most common inflammatory skin disease affecting children in New Zealand,” says Professor Asher. “Around fifteen percent of children suffer and its incidence is even higher in some other countries. The burden on affected children and their families is considerable, and symptoms can continue into adult life.” The New Zealand trial of AVAC is being run in parallel with a Phase II trial of another candidate, SRP 299, which is currently underway in the United Kingdom. Genesis and SR Pharma, a London based biopharmaceutical company, have joint rights to the two products being trialled. Professor Asher and the team of AVAC research staff would like to thank all members of the public who have contributed to the recruitment success, especially the children and their families. The results of both the New Zealand and the UK Phase II trials are expected to be available at the end of 2004. “We continue to be delighted with the progress of our AVAC Phase II trial to date,” says Genesis Chief Executive, Dr Jim Watson. “Completing recruitment on schedule is an outstanding achievement by the study investigators and their team. The results from this trial will allow us to accurately determine the efficacy of AVAC in the treatment of children with eczema.” About atopic diseases Atopic diseases comprise atopic eczema, asthma and allergic rhinitis. An atopic individual is likely to experience symptoms of one or more of these conditions from an early age and this may persist for lengthy periods during his or her lifetime. Importantly, the prevalence of atopic disease in the western world has more than doubled over the past 30 years. It has been postulated that this increase in prevalence is causally related to a marked reduction in the incidence of infectious diseases experienced in these communities over that period. About Genesis Founded in 1994, Genesis is a New Zealand-based biotechnology company. It has built a broad genomic platform and has multiple product candidates in development, targeting immune disorders and cancer. These are backed by an extensive patent portfolio. Collaborations are maintained with Amgen Inc. (Nasdaq:AMGN), Corixa Corporation (Nasdaq:CRXA), SR Pharma plc (LSE:SPA), Jurox Pty Ltd, and AgResearch. AgriGenesis Biosciences Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genesis that is focused on using key plant cell signalling genes - novel hormones and transcription factors - to control commercial traits including growth rates and wood fibre quality in trees, nutritional content of forage grasses, flowering control, and cold tolerance. It has developed comprehensive plant EST databases including the world’s largest EST database for commercial forestry species. It has commercial collaborations with ArborGen LLC, Wrightson (NZX: WRI), HortResearch, and Landcare Research. For more information, please visit www.genesis.co.nz Media contacts: Dr J Watson, Chief Executive, Genesis Research and Development Corporation Limited,+64 9 373 5600 Allan Botica, Botica Butler Raudon, +64 9 303 3862, +64 21 400 500, allanb@botica.co.nz |