Hadasit - the Technology Transfer Company of Hadassah Medical Organization has licensed a novel oral immune modulation technology developed by Hadassah physicians and scientists to Australian biopharmaceutical company Immuron Ltd. (ASX: IMC; Bulletin Board: IMROY).
Hadasit will combine its oral immune modulation with Immuron’s oral protein and antibody technology to develop an all-natural, side-effect-free approach to address serious diseases with multibillion dollar markets, such as metabolic syndrome, hepatitis C and type II diabetes.
Hadassah Medical Center scientists have demonstrated that their oral immune modulation approach, used in combination with Immuron’s own dairy-derived antibodies and other proteins, can directly affect the activity level of regulatory T cells, a type of immune cell known to have profound effects in controlling the inflammation caused by many diseases. This approach has shown positive effects in several animal models of human disease, including type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Hadasit will also provide clinical and laboratory services to Immuron, which will reduce the cost of Immuron's human clinical trials. In return, Hadasit will receive 19.99% of Immuron’s equity, as well as royalties on Immuron products. Prof. Yaron Ilan of Hadassah Medical Center will become Immuron's chief medical officer. He will continue to serve as the director of the Department of Medicine A at the Hadassah Ein Kerem University Hospital, and the deputy dean of the Hebrew University Hadassah School of Medicine.
Immuron will use the Hadasit technology to develop treatments for metabolic syndrome, chronic hepatitis C and liver cancer (hepatoma), for which there are no current adequate therapies. Since the products will be marketed as a medical food in the US and in other countries, Immuron believes that it can introduce commercial products for some treatments shortly after the successful conclusion of these trials, possibly within two-three years.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 21, 2009
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