Biopharmaceutical company, Dimerix Limited (ASX: DXB, “Dimerix”), which is developing new treatments for types of inflammatory kidney and respiratory diseases, has announced successful interim results of a Phase 3 trial of DMX-200 in patients with the rare disease Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) that attacks the kidney’s filtering units.
The chronic kidney disease causes inflammation and scarring of the kidney and affects both children and adults and leads to permanent kidney damage and eventual kidney failure, requiring dialysis or transplantation on average within five years.
After receiving a kidney transplant, approximately 40 percent of patients will get re-occurring FSGS in the transplanted kidney.
Globally, there are no drugs approved for FSGS.
Following the successful Phase 3 trial in 72 patients, Dimerix will now open new clinical sites in more countries including China and expand the patient base to include children over the age of 12.
The treatment, DMX-200, was co-invented by Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research Head of Molecular Endocrinology and Pharmacology’s Professor Kevin Pfleger, along with Dr James Williams and Liddy McCall who were leading the translational efforts at Dimerix in collaboration with the Institute, with the original discovery and pre-clinical research published in 2015.
“It was working as a cohesive team that lifted the science to achieve this translationally-focused outcome. We congratulate the Dimerix team for delivering our early vision to treat FSGS patients and potentially future kidney diseases. We look forward to seeing their continued progress” said Professor Pfleger.
“Achieving this milestone at Dimerix has been a long journey that includes many contributors along the way. Thank you to my colleagues, co-founders and co-inventors, James and Kevin, for instilling in me a fascination with science that got it all started. It is great to have contributed to meaningful translation benefiting patients with FSGS, and to see future new applications derived using our original systemic analysis of heteromer drug target interactions” said Ms McCall.
“It is fantastic to see the successful clinical trial announcement from Dimerix that demonstrates successful translation of medical research outcomes, particularly in a disease with such a high unmet need. This milestone is a testament to the many people involved with Dimerix over the years. It is an exciting time for me personally too, as Liddy and I are continuing our productive relationship with the Harry Perkins Institute, through a new initiative known as the Health Translation Group, which will continue to support the translation of emerging intellectual property from Western Australian medical research organisations.” said Dr Williams.
Read the Dimerix announcement (PDF).
