Neurotech International (ASX:NTI) says preclinical studies demonstrate that NTI164 can improve the efficacy of prednisone at low doses.
The company said these findings may have significant application for the use of prednisone across a variety of indications.
"Importantly, the combination treatment and formulation fall under NTI’s recently lodged patent applications (refer ASX announcement 14 October 2021)," said the company, adding reducing the prednisone dose whilst achieving increased efficacy could overcome many of the adverse side effects that are directly related to the dosage of prednisone.
The company said it will look to fast-track commercial negotiations with strategic partners to further develop and commercialise the most common worldwide off-patent actives used in combination with NTI164 across multiple indications.
According to Brian Leedman, chairman of Neurotech International “From a Company development perspective, we can’t understate the clinical significance of these results. We have prednisone, one of the world’s most commonly used off-patent pharmaceutical drugs for neuroinflammatory disorders (including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Alzheimer’s and MS), demonstrating significant improvement in efficacy using anywhere from 70% to 90% less active dosage when used in combination with NTI164.
"Given the very well documented adverse side effects of prednisone usage, the potential to create a combination treatment with NTI164 and prednisone which increases efficacy and significantly reduces side effects is now a major driver for the Company. We are now pursuing other synergistic opportunities with blockbuster generics and other unique combination therapies. An all-natural, no THC combination treatment option will put NTI at the forefront of full spectrum cannabis strain development and commercialisation and we look forward to updating stakeholders with progress on an ongoing basis.”
Neurotech International non-executive director, Professor Emeritus Allan Cripps, said, “The synergistic suppression of the inflammatory response with combined prednisone and NTI164 treatment in the preclinical in-vitro studies is a very exciting finding. Clearly, we are seeing the applications of the “entourage effect” of our full spectrum cannabis strains. If this can be translated to human studies; better clinical outcomes with less side effects would be expected for the treatment of diseases associated immune inflammation. The Company is looking forward to seeing the results of the recently commissioned combination preclinical studies utilising other major off-patent anti-inflammatory drugs such as Diclofenac and Celebrex which also have significant adverse side effects.”