LAVAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, - April 10, 2014 - ProMetic Life Sciences Inc. (TSX: PLI) (OTCQX: PFSCF), ("ProMetic" or the "Corporation") presented new pre-clinical data at the 2014 annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver ("EASL") currently being held in London, UK. The new data supports the claim that PBI-4050's anti-fibrotic activity could also address various liver conditions such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis ("NASH"), a condition affecting 2% to 5% of Americans, as well as liver cancer.
PBI-4050's favorable effect in reducing the progression of fibrosis in the liver was demonstrated in a gold standard animal model where liver fibrosis is induced by chronic administration of carbon tetrachloride ("CCL4"), a chemical which at high chronic doses, causes irreversible damages to the liver and kidneys. Animals treated with PBI-4050 displayed a significant reduction of liver lesions as evidenced by histology and relevant biomarkers results. Following prolonged exposure to CCL4, a significant number of the non-treated animals also developed hepatocellular carcinoma unlike those treated with PBI-4050.
"These results clearly indicate that PBI-4050's anti-fibrotic activity is at the core of the fibrosis regulation pathway in the liver", stated Dr. Lyne Gagnon, Head of Biology & Immunology at ProMetic.
Dr. John Moran, Chief Medical Officer at ProMetic stated "The progression from fibrosis to cirrhosis to hepatocellular carcinoma is well defined in humans. The positive effects observed with PBI-4050 in multiple challenging animal models bodes well for its potential use to treat various medical conditions involving and or leading to fibrosis."
The presentation at the EASL annual conference is available on the ProMetic website at: http://www.prometic.com/en/therapeutics/conferences.php
More on NASH:
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH is a common, often "silent" liver disease. It resembles
alcoholic liver disease, but occurs in people who drink little or no alcohol. The major feature in NASH is fat in the liver, along with inflammation and damage. Most people with NASH feel well and are not aware that they have a liver problem. Nevertheless, NASH can be severe and can lead to cirrhosis, in which the liver is permanently damaged and scarred and no longer able to work properly. NASH affects 2 to 5 percent of Americans
More on Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Hepatic fibrosis is an outcome of many chronic liver diseases, including hepatitis B virus, hepatitis
C virus, alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Liver fibrosis is characterized by the excess accumulation and alteration of extracellular matrix molecules, including collagen, in the tissue. Liver fibrosis can progress to liver cirrhosis, liver failure, portal hypertension and hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver transplantation is the only treatment available for patients with advanced stage of fibrosis.
About ProMetic Life Sciences Inc.
ProMetic Life Sciences Inc. (www.prometic.com) is a long established biopharmaceutical company with globally recognized expertise in bioseparations, plasma-derived therapeutics and small-molecule drug development. ProMetic offers its state of the art technologies for large-scale purification of biologics, drug development, proteomics and the elimination of pathogens to a growing base of industry leaders and uses its own affinity technology that provides for highly efficient extraction and purification of therapeutic proteins from human plasma in order to develop best-in-class therapeutics and orphan drugs. ProMetic is also active in developing its own novel small-molecule therapeutic products targeting unmet medical needs in the field of fibrosis, cancer and autoimmune diseases/inflammation. Headquartered in Laval (Canada), ProMetic has R&D facilities in the UK, the U.S. and Canada, manufacturing facilities in the UK and business development activities in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements about ProMetic's objectives, strategies and businesses that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are "forward-looking" because they are based on our current expectations about the markets we operate in and on various estimates and assumptions. Actual events or results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements if known or unknown risks affect our business, or if our estimates or assumptions turn out to be inaccurate. Such risks and assumptions include, but are not limited to, ProMetic's ability to develop, manufacture, and successfully commercialize value-added pharmaceutical products, the availability of funds and resources to pursue R&D projects, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the ability of ProMetic to take advantage of business opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry, uncertainties related to the regulatory process and general changes in economic conditions. You will find a more detailed assessment of the risks that could cause actual events or results to materially differ from our current expectations in ProMetic's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2013, under the heading "Risk and Uncertainties related to ProMetic's business". As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement even if new information becomes available, as a result of future events or for any other reason, unless required by applicable securities laws and regulations. All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless indicated otherwise.
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