Licensee sought
Morvus Technology Ltd has been granted use patents on the cancer drug Tretazicar after discovering that it is effective also in the treatment of micro-organisms including Leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease spread through bites from sandflies. The company is now looking for a commercial partner to market the drug.
The disease affects about 12 million people globally, most of them in the developing world. The most dangerous form of the disease is visceral leishmaniasis - also known as black fever - which attacks the body’s immune system and is nearly always fatal if left untreated.
“The drugs currently available to treat the disease are quite toxic and have unpleasant side effects,” says Roger Melton, development director at Morvus Technology. “The organism can also develop resistance to them quite quickly.”
Tretazicar is effective in treating the disease, and it is expected that only small doses will be needed, reducing side effects.
Clinical trials of the drug will begin next year. Apart from looking for marketing partner Morvus, based in Salisbury, Wiltshire is in talks with an international charity to license the drug for use in developing countries.
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