5th Dec 2019 15:19
(Alliance News) - Drug development company, Evgen Pharma PLC on Thursday entered a Memorandum of Understanding with University of Dundee's School of Medicine agreeing to work together using MRI scanning technology to investigate the efficacy of drug SFX-01 in reversing the signs of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis.
John Dillon, professor of hepatology and gastrenterology in the university's School of Medicine will lead the process with the aim of securing funding, obtaining clinical trial regulatory approval while Evgen will be granted an option to the clinical data to enable development and commercialisation of the drug.
Dillon has previously published research showing that the admistration of the drug could reverse insulin resistance, suppress hepatic steatosis, and hinder or prevent NASH and liver fibrosis.
Dillon said: "We are delighted that Evgen will support our plans to undertake a clinical trial on SFX-01 in patients with NASH. Oxidative stress is pivotal to the development of NASH and our research suggests that activation of the Nrf2 pathway, which in turn reduces oxidative stress, can reverse the pathology."
A previous clinical trial of SFX-01 with patients who had suffered subarachnoid haemorrhage was reported in November to not show any significant difference between the SFX-01 and placebo arms.
Shares in Evgen Pharma - which has offices in London, Liverpool and Wilmslow - were up 1.7% at 7.58 pence on Monday in London.
By Ife Taiwo; [email protected]
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