Download Positive Preclinical Efficacy data for LASCCO`s CAL02 Published in

Positive Preclinical Efficacy data for LASCCO’s CAL02 Published in Nature Biotechnology
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Geneva, Switzerland, 2 November 2014 – LASCCO announces the publication of positive
preclinical efficacy studies for its anti-infective drug CAL02 in Nature Biotechnology. These results
confirm the potency of LASCCO’s anti-virulence approach to treat severe bacterial infections and
represent a major step forward in the fight against severe bacterial infections and antibiotic
resistance.
The publication titled "Engineered liposomes sequester bacterial exotoxins and protect from severe
invasive infections in mice” and which appeared in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Biotechnology
(http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nbt.3037.html), reveals that a new liposomal
agent can act as a decoy to neutralize damaging bacterial toxins and rescue mice from fatal
bacteraemia and pneumonia. The work led by Dr. Babiychuk and Professor Draeger of the
University of Bern shows that by mimicking specific cell-surface microdomains, CAL02 neutralizes
bacterial toxins and thereby significantly improves the survival of mice infected with a lethal dose of
Streptococcus pneumoniae or Staphylococcus aureus and protects against clinical deterioration.
“This anti-virulence approach markedly improves antibiotherapy” said Dr. Babiychuk who conducted
the study in Bern, and added: “CAL02 has also the potential for being used as a monotherapy, for
example in the case of resistant bacterial infections, since, on its own, it effectively leads to a
significant decrease in blood bacterial loads.”
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria kill some 50,000 in the U.S. and Europe each year. On their own,
antibiotics are powerless to solve the problem of resistance on the long term, as the risk of the
emergence of resistance is inherent to their use. New classes of anti-infectives that do not impose a
selective pressure on bacterial growth are therefore crucially needed. Among the most promising
strategies addressing this issue are those tailored to disarm bacteria by targeting their virulence
factors rather than to kill them. The Nature Biotechnology publication highlights that, as opposed to
monoclonal antibodies blocking specific bacterial toxins, CAL02 is a broad-spectrum agent active
against a variety of clinically relevant toxins, including those released by antibiotic-resistant strains.
“These in vivo studies strongly support our decision to conduct a first-in-human study next year in
severely-ill patients with pneumococcal pneumonia” commented Samareh Azeredo da Silveira
Lajaunias, Managing Director at LASCCO. “This new drug meets crucial medical needs, since
virulence factors such as toxins are responsible for serious infection-related complications. These
complications concern 23% of individuals affected by community-acquired pneumonia, extend
hospitalisation in intensive care units, and tremendously increase the cost of care.”
ABOUT CAL02
CAL02 is a broad-spectrum anti-virulence therapeutic agent for the treatment of severe bacterial
infections, including those caused by antibiotic-resistant strains. It consists of two lipidic
nanoparticles exclusively composed of ubiquitous dietary lipids constituents of the mammalian
membranes. CAL02 acts in synergy with the antibiotics and also indirectly affects bacterial survival
by depriving bacteria from the tools they use to feed and multiply, and by protecting the immune
system, which can then appropriately combat the infection. The product is at preclinical stage.
ABOUT LASCCO
LASCCO SA (http://www.lascco.com) was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland. The company focuses on the development of discovery-stage biomedical
technologies. LASCCO validates the potential of new pharmaceuticals or diagnostics, and brings
them to the attention of the industry for commercialization. Areas of focus are infectious diseases,
autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and neurodegenerative disorders. The company partnered
with major diagnostics companies in 2012 for its biomarker for the diagnosis of sepsis.
Contact details:
LASCCO SA - Rue de la Rôtisserie 8 – 1211 Geneva 3 – Switzerland
Phone : +41 (0) 22 317 8881
Email: [email protected]