Prometic receives clearance from the Swedish Medical Products Agency to initiate plasminogen clinical trial in chronic tympanic membrane perforation

LAVAL, QC, Nov. 1, 2017

The clinical trial is a dose escalation, randomized, placebo-controlled study designed to investigate the safety, feasibility and initial efficacy of local injections of a novel and proprietary plasminogen formulation for the treatment of chronic tympanic membrane perforation. Up to 33 adult patients are expected to be enrolled. The study will be conducted at a single center in Sweden, under the supervision of Cecilia Engmér Berglin, MD, PhD from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. The Karolinska University Hospital is the second largest ear/nose/throat center in the world.

"Chronic TMP is just one of the many additional clinical indications we intend to pursue with our plasminogen therapy. It is estimated that as many as 70,000 children in the U.S. alone are diagnosed with chronic tympanic membrane perforations every year in the U.S.",  said Pierre Laurin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Prometic. "Data generated by our colleagues in Sweden, in a preclinical animal model, shows that local injections of plasminogen around a tympanic membrane perforation restore the healing process around said perforations and ultimately close these wounds. We look forward to commencing our clinical trial and taking the next steps to bring this potential therapy to patients."

The Medical Products Agency (MPA) is the Swedish national authority responsible for regulation and oversight of the development, manufacturing and marketing of drugs and other medicinal products.

About Plasminogen

Plasminogen is a naturally occurring protein that is synthesized by the liver and circulates in the blood. Activated plasminogen, plasmin, is a fundamental component of the fibrinolytic system and is the main enzyme involved in the lysis of blood clots and clearance of extravasated fibrin. Plasminogen is therefore vital in wound healing, cell migration, tissue remodeling, angiogenesis and embryogenesis.

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 is active in developing its own novel small-molecule therapeutic products targeting unmet medical needs in the field of fibrosis, cancer and autoimmune diseases/inflammation. A number of plasma-derived and small molecule products are under development for orphan drug indications. Prometic also 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. Headquartered in Laval (Canada), Prometic has R&D facilities in the UK, the U.S. and Canada, manufacturing facilities in the UK and commercial activities in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia.