ARGENICA THERAPEUTICS (ASX: AGN) PARTNERS WITH GLOBAL HYPOXIC ISCHAEMIC ENCEPHALOPATHY (HIE) ADVOCACY ORGANISATION HOPE FOR HIE AS ARG-007 MOVES CLOSER TO CLINICAL TRIALS
Perth, Western Australia: April 19th, 2023, – Argenica Therapeutics Limited (ASX: AGN), a biotechnology company developing novel neuroprotective therapeutics, announces its support and partnership with Hope for HIE (Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy), a global patient advocacy and support organisation, during April’s HIE Awareness month.
Roughly 2-3 in every 1,000 live births will be affected by HIE every year in high resourced countries, and 10-20 per 1,000 live births in low and middle income countries. This equates to tens of thousands of babies and children worldwide who experience HIE. It is a type of newborn brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation and limited blood flow, across many causes before, during and after birth. It can lead to lifelong disability and can result in death. Currently, there is only one treatment for HIE, which is therapeutic hypothermia, or cooling. This treatment has been shown to reduce death and disability for babies diagnosed with moderate and severe HIE. Though this is the most widely known and used treatment, there is continued research around the world to bridge the gap of therapeutic treatments to treat infants who suffer from HIE, as cooling does not work for all HIE babies, and strict criteria must be met to qualify.
In 2021 and 2022, studies assessing the efficacy of ARG-007 in both a preterm and term rat model of neonatal HIE showed a significant reduction in the amount of brain cell death following administration of ARG-007 in HIE. In the term model, a 300 nmol/kg dose of ARG-007 reduced neuronal cell death by 86% compared with saline controls 24 hours post -administration.
On March 30th, 2023, Argenica announced the receipt of non-dilutive cash funding from the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation (SPCF) to the Perron Institute to progress preclinical studies into the efficacy of ARG-007 in neonatal HIE. This non-dilutive grant funding will be used to complete the preclinical animal studies required to progress ARG-007 into clinical trials in newborn infants suffering HIE.
Hope for HIE, the premiere global patient advocacy and support organisation for this diagnosis, is partnering longitudinally with Argenica to engage Australian HIE families in the study development process and support as this project progresses in the pathway to clinical trials.
“We are so grateful for pioneers like Argenica Therapeutics and Dr. Adam Edwards for their dedication to involving patient-families in this exciting, groundbreaking innovation. We are able to take what our families have learned participating in neonatal clinical trials over the last 20 years around the world, and couple that with patient-centered research best practices, and our longitudinal support programs and services.
This ensures families who may enroll in the future clinical trials will have access to comprehensive support for their family, both from credentialed providers and peers, promoting study engagement for optimal data capture and analysis. The future is truly bright for HIE because of therapeutic investment happening like this,” stated Betsy Pilon, Executive Director.
Connect with families, read inspiring stories, and get helpful resources delivered right to your inbox.
Connect with families, read inspiring stories, and get helpful resources delivered right to your inbox.
