BELLEVILLE, ON,
Dec. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Bioniche
Life Sciences Inc. (TSX: BNC) (ASX: BNC), a research-based,
technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, today
announced that a study approved for publication in the Journal of
Food Protection demonstrates that Verotoxigenic Escherichia
coli (VTEC) results in a cost of $403.9
million per year in Canada
related to primary infections and long-term health outcomes. More
than 93% of the VTEC infections are caused by the O157 strain of
E. coli, and Bioniche One Health has developed a cattle
vaccine to reduce the burden of this pathogen.
"Reduction of E. coli O157 shedding by
cattle offers an opportunity to significantly reduce public health
risk," said Dr. Paul Sockett, an
expert in foodborne diseases, the former Director of the Foodborne,
Waterborne and Zoonotic Infections Division of the Public Health
Agency of Canada, and the
principal author of the study. "Four key public sectors are
impacted by concerns relating to the severity of human illness and
the prevalence of VTEC infection in cattle and other ruminants: (i)
public health, (ii) agriculture, (iii) food processing and retail,
and (iv) national and local government organizations responsible
for acting on reports of human illness or animal or product
contamination." Dr. Sockett presented the study findings at the
Public Health Ontario Vaccine Sciences Symposium 2013 in
Toronto, Ontario today.
The authors of the study used a cost of illness
methodology to delineate and quantify the costs associated with
VTEC infection in Canada. The
authors focused on medical costs and productivity losses, which
were aggregated to give a total cost. Historical notifiable disease
data (the number of laboratory confirmed cases reported to the
Public Health Agency of Canada)
was utilized in the analysis Only a fraction of VTEC cases are
captured by disease surveillance systems, leaving uncertainty
around the exact number of cases within the community. This was
addressed in the study using an under-reporting factor. The study
authors note that, because the costs exclude other public and
private sector costs, the actual costs to society of VTEC infection
are much higher.
The research comments on the distribution of
human VTEC infection cases in Canada, whereby the highest rates of human
infection have been associated with proximity to high densities of
cattle. Alberta public
health authorities have identified a trend of higher incidence of
human E. coli O157 infection in that province, with
incidence as high as 29.1 cases per 100,000 population in
south-central Alberta compared
with an average of 2.8 per 100,000 for Canada during the same year.
When considering the costs of implementing
control and/or prevention interventions versus the costs of disease
over a longer period of time, the study authors suggest that, if
the current situation were to remain unchanged over the next 5 or
10 years, the discounted present value of those future costs would
be approximately $1.8 to $2.09
billion and $3.2 to $3.9
billion for five and 10 years, respectively.
The study authors expect that the information
provided by the study will contribute to improved assessment of
alternative approaches to reducing or preventing human VTEC
infection, including cattle vaccines (on their own or with other
interventions).
About E. coli O157
Ruminants, primarily cattle, are considered to
be the primary carriers of VTEC O157. This bacterium can cause
severe illness and can even be fatal. Spread of the bacteria to
humans can be indirect or through direct contact with infected
animals and their manure (environment). For example, when ingested
by humans from unpasteurized milk, contaminated uncooked meat,
vegetables, other food products, water, or at visitor open farms or
petting zoos, etc. Human exposure and infection with E. coli
O157 can result in serious health consequences, including abdominal
pain and severe bloody diarrhea. In severe cases, kidney damage can
occur and progress to serious complications and even death.
Lingering, long-term medical conditions can persist in individuals
exposed to the bacterium. These include post-infectious irritable
bowel syndrome (PI-IBS), reduced kidney function, diabetes,
hypertension and reactive arthritis. E. coli O157 is
commonly carried by animals and ruminants but will cause the
animals to show no signs of infection even though there is
potential for spread of E. coli O157 in their feces.
An estimated 100,000 cases of human infection
with the E. coli O157 organism are reported each year in
North America. Two to seven per
cent of those people develop haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a
disease characterized by kidney failure. Five percent of HUS
patients die, many of them children and senior citizens, whose
kidneys are more sensitive to damage.
About Bioniche One Health
Bioniche One Health is responsible for
researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing veterinary
biopharmaceutical products to improve public health and the
environment. The leading initiative for this division has been the
development and commercialization of a cattle vaccine to reduce the
spread of the E. coli O157 bacterium, which can be deadly to
humans. The vaccine - Econiche® - is fully registered in
Canada, is approved for
importation into Australia, has
received Special Treatment Certificate authorization for UK
veterinary surgeons to use on visitor open farms, and has been
granted an import permit for use on cattle farms in Sweden.
About Bioniche Life Sciences Inc.
Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. is a research-based,
technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company focused on the
discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of proprietary
and innovative products for human and animal health markets
worldwide. The fully-integrated company employs more than 200
skilled personnel and has three operating divisions: Human Health,
Animal Health, and One Health. The Company's primary goal is to
develop and commercialize products that advance human or animal
health and increase shareholder value.
For more information, please visit
www.Bioniche.com.
Except for historical information, this news
release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect the
Company's current expectation regarding future events. These
forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, which
may cause, but are not limited to, changing market conditions, the
successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the
establishment of corporate alliances, the impact of competitive
products and pricing, new product development, uncertainties
related to the regulatory approval process, and other risks
detailed from time to time in the Company's ongoing quarterly and
annual reporting.
SOURCE Bioniche Life Sciences Inc.