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Alex advocates for affordable access to healthcare and medication.
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A biotech company will be asking the FDA for permission to begin human trials for a potential autoimmune disorder treatment with an unexpected ingredient – parasite eggs. Coronada Biosciences Inc has developed an immunotherapy agent that includes 2500 parasite eggs collected from pigs. It is intended as a treatment for autoimmune disorders including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and multiple sclerosis.
According to Coronado, CNDO-201 is a novel approach to treating autoimmune diseases based on the “hygiene hypothesis.” The hygiene hypothesis states that a lack of early childhood exposure to bacteria, viruses and parasites results in an immune system that never learns how to mount a proper defense to infectious organisms.
As a result, a misguided immune system may mistakenly see a harmless substance such as dust or animal dander as a threat, launching an autoimmune response such as allergies or asthma. Crohn's and ulcerative colitis are autoimmune disorders of the intestinal tract. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system.
The porcine whipworm was chosen because it is similar to parasites that regulate cells mechanisms which prevent excessive T-cell activation - a major cause of autoimmune disorders. Patients would be given eggs from the pig parasite every two weeks. "Because humans aren’t the right host, the worms can’t colonize,’’ explains Coronado Chief Executive Bobby Sandage. “The eggs stay there a couple of weeks and then dissolve.’’
Coronado acquired the fledgling drug, called CNDO-201, earlier this year, when it bought out its original developer, Asphelia Pharmaceuticals from San Diego. Proof of concept trials in patients with inflammatory bowel disease were promising - over 70 percent of patients achieved complete remission. A Phase II double-blind, placebo controlled trial for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease is scheduled to begin in early 2012, pending the go-ahead from the FDA.
It isn't often that a biotechnology company pursues a New Drug Application on its own, usually partnering with a deep-pocketed pharmaceutical company to get a new medication off the ground. But Coronada Biosciences is so convinced of the potential of its proposed Crohn's treatment that it recently raised over $5 million in venture and private funding to pursue its development, and is now planning to go public.
Currently, Crohn's disease is incurable, but can be treated with anti-inflammatory agents such as Asacol (5-ASA, or mesalazine tablets) corticosteroids such as Entocort EC (generic budesonide), topical antibiotics (e.g. Cipro), and immuno-modulators (e.g. Rheumatrex).
Coronado Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on immunotherapy agents for cancer and inflammatory diseases. Coronado's two principal pharmaceutical product candidates for clinical development are CNDO-201 and CNDO-109, an anti-cancer biologic that activates natural killer cells to treat leukemia and cancer tumors.
Alex Ray is a health writer who advocates for access to affordable healthcare and medication. She urges American consumers to take advantage of lower Canadian drug prices, and recommends BigMountainDrugs.com as a reliable online Canadian pharmacy from which to save money on Canadian prescription drugs such as generic Asacol and generic Entocort EC.
