The companies plan to evaluate the ability of Pro-Pharmaceuticals' carbohydrate compounds to improve the delivery of Digna's novel compounds, to enhance activity against chronic hepatitis C infections.
Pro-Pharmaceuticals' lead compound Davanat will be the first carbohydrate compound to be evaluated, as data from preclinical and clinical trials show that Davanat increased the patient's exposure to 5-FU ten-fold with no increase in toxicity.
David Platt, president and CEO of Pro-Pharmaceuticals, said: “The collaboration with Digna is an important step in the development, commercialization and validation of our first-in-class carbohydrate technology.”
Davanat is a carbohydrate polymer composed of mannose and galactose, which is thought to target specific lectin receptors (Galectins) that are over-expressed on cells. Current research indicates that Galectins affect cell development and play important roles in cell survival. This form of targeted delivery may allow for higher doses of drug administration with no increase in toxicity.