Epistem anti-radiation damage biotech signs service contract with Humanetics

UK-based Epistem has received its first service contract from the Humanetics Corporation of Minnesota, USA, and will carry out preclinical efficacy testing of products designed to protect the intestinal lining from radiation damage. Under the terms of the agreement laid out by Humanetics following US Department of Defence directives, Epistem will screen prophylactic drugs that members of the Armed Forces exposed to radiation or potential nuclear attack may use to improve health and reduce morbidity.

Epistem, a spin-out from Manchester’s Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, provides screening assays that quantify the efficacy of drugs and optimise their use in the prevention of radiation induced diseases. They have provided their services to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Medical Countermeasures against Radiological and Nuclear Threats (MCART) and Epistem also assists in the area of oncology supportive care.

John L. Zenk, of Humanetics, said: “The tests performed by Epistem should identify agents that will reduce the levels of ulceration, diarrhoea, anorexia and ideally also fatalities caused by radiation exposure. Epistem currently provides the industry standard systems for measuring the levels of gastrointestinal damage and are enormously experienced in this area”

Dr Catherine Booth, of Epistem, said: "This project perfectly complements our work with MCART.  The current contract with Humanetics will test agents that may be taken prior to radiation exposure, in situations of high risk, whereas MCART are evaluating agents that mitigate damage following exposure.  Both types of drugs also have therapeutic applications in oncology supportive care, the area for which we first developed and validated these assays, and possibly in other related intestinal wound healing situations, such as inflammatory bowel disease.”