Ark Therapeutics displays kidney graft “breakthrough”

Ark Therapeutics, the British medical and pharmaceutical company, has released the details of positive phase II trial results for a “breakthrough” treatment designed to prevent the blockage of blood vessels in kidney dialysis patients following vascular access graft surgery.

Using a combination of Ark’s biodegradable local delivery collagen collar device and Trinam, a vascular endothelial growth factor in an adenoviral vector, trial patients in the low dosage group were demonstrated open, unblocked grafts for five times longer than the placebo group.

In the high dose group, Ark claims that all patients who had successful graft implants still have open grafts.

Additionally, the trial achieved its primary endpoints of safety, as the product combination was well-tolerated and there was no sign of systemic distribution of Trinam in patients’ bodies.

Dr Jeffrey Lawson, associate professor of surgery and pathology at Duke University in North Carolina, said the treatment could save healthcare bodies between $15,000 and $20,000 (approximately 8,000 to 10,500 pounds) per patient intervention.

He remarked: “This kind of technology is very exciting and early results suggest that it may have a valuable role to play in the treatment of kidney failure patients.”

Nigel Parker, Ark’s chief executive, added: “The results of this study so far have exceeded the Company’s expectations in this very serious condition and confirm our original enthusiasm for the product’s potential.”

Ark currently has one marketed product, Keraboot, a wound-healing system, although Vitor, a muscle wasting treatment, is in phase III development, while Trinam and Cerepro, a drug targeted at malignant brain tumours, are in phase II development.

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