MEDG Medgenics(Regs)

 

TIDMMEDG 
 
 
Medgenics Inc 
30 March 2010 
 
For release: 30 March 2010 
 
MEDGENICS PRESENTS FIRST DATA ON INTERFERON PRODUCING BIOPUMPS AT THE 2010 EASL 
                              CONFERENCE IN VIENNA 
 
During the 2010 EASL conference on liver disease in Vienna, Austria, which takes 
place between April 14 and April 18, 2010, Medgenics, Inc ("Medgenics" or the 
"Company") will be presenting two posters providing data on their INFRADURE 
Biopumps that use a patient's own tissue to produce and deliver interferon-alpha 
(IFNa) in therapeutic amounts consistently and over a sustained period, the 
first time thesedata have been presented at a clinical conference. This 
prestigious European annual conference for liver disease is attended by more 
than 7,000 delegates, representing the key opinion leaders in treating liver 
disease. 
 
The INFRADURE technology is being developed for use in treating Hepatitis-C, by 
providing up to 6 months sustained IFNa treatment from a single administration, 
using the patient's excised dermis sample taken by needle biopsy and converted 
into a "Biopump" producing IFNa.  Based on prior experience reported using the 
same Biopump approach to achieve sustained production of a different protein, 
erythropoietin, the Company believes these INFRADURE Biopumps will produce a 
consistent level of IFNa over a prolonged period.  In this way, the Company 
plans to provide the benefits of interferon therapy without the well known toxic 
effects caused by the way interferon is administered today; i.e., a weekly 
series of at least 24 injections.  Patients treated with today's IFNa injections 
usually suffer major flulike symptoms largely due to the high dose of the bolus 
injection, and many prefer to forego treatment because of the toxic effects.  By 
providing a steady level at the requisite dose, Medgenics believes patients will 
receive effective and much more tolerable therapy for Hepatitis-C. 
 
INFRADURE Biopumps are made from microorgans - half-toothpick sized slivers of 
excised dermis, the lower layer of skin - which are processed outside the body 
for 10 days causing their cells to produce IFNa.  After a week measuring each 
Biopump's IFNa production, the requisite dosage of IFNa is given by inserting 
the requisite number of Biopump units subcutaneously - current data suggest that 
1-3 Biopump units should be adequate to provide the interferon therapy used for 
a typical patient with Hepatitis-C. 
 
Proof of principle of this new approach to protein production and delivery has 
been established through the generation of more than 5,000 Biopumps producing a 
range of different therapeutic proteins in the laboratory.  The most advanced 
programme is EPODURE Biopumps which produce erythropoietin for anaemic patients 
with chronic kidney disease.  In its ongoing Phase I-II study in 2009 Medgenics 
reported that haemoglobin levels were elevated and sustained for 6-12 months 
from a single administration of low dose EPODURE Biopumps. 
 
The study presented in these two posters provides data which showthat long term 
IFNa production and delivery can be achieved in SCID mice, and long-term IFNa 
production can be maintained in vitro. 
 
Commenting on the posters being presented, Medgenics' Chairman of the Board Dr. 
Eugene Bauer said, "We have been encouraged by the clinical data that have been 
generated with EPODURE Biopumps and it is gratifying that the higher dose trials 
are scheduled to commence in the near term.  The data presented at this 
conference demonstrate how we can successfully produce Biopumps for other 
important therapeutic proteins, including IFNa.  We believe the INFRADURE 
Biopump could offer great hope for a significant improvement in the treatment of 
Hepatitis-C." 
 
For further comment from Dr. Andy Pearlman, CEO of Medgenics, and to order a 
copy of the posters following publication, please contact Anna Dunphy 
(a.dunphy@defacto.com) or Mike Wort (m.wort@defacto.com) and we would be 
delighted to arrange for that. 
 
This information is provided by RNS 
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange 
   END 
 
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