Medical life science company, Medlab Clinical (ASX:MDC), has announced it is commencing a safety study for oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy using its nutraceutical product, Multibiotic.
The company was granted ethics approval in May and has now received a clinical trial number from the TGA enabling the commencement of the trial.
The phase 1 clinical trial will focus on safety and tolerability for oncology patients throughout their chemotherapy treatment in reducing intestinal inflammatory ulcerations (mucositis), which leads to the development of diarrhoea and other intestinal adverse effects.
The 12-week trial will be led by Professor Stephen Clarke at the Northern Cancer Institute in Sydney.
According to Medlab CEO, Dr Sean Hall, preliminary investigations have shown promising results in the oncology area, with Multibiotic potentially complementing other Medlab oncology products like NanaBis and NanaBidial.
“Since mucositis is common and debilitating, it means it is a significant market globally and we are hoping this research will help improve the general wellbeing of chemotherapy patients,” said Dr Hall.
Multibiotic is a multi-species probiotic designed to support the natural balance of commensal bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. MultiBiotic is currently in market and used to improve symptoms of medically diagnosed Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Medlab said it has also developed two cannabis-based medicines for oncology patients, one in pain management and the other in seizures, nausea and vomiting, with the first undergoing a clinical trial with seriously ill cancer patients at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.
In the cannabis clinical trial, Medlab’s NanaBis is being administered by Medlab’s small particle medicine delivery platform, NanoCelle.