Kane Biotech Announces Positive Results From an Independent Wound Care Study
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (MARKETWIRE) -- 07/11/07 -- Kane Biotech Inc. (TSX VENTURE: KNE), a biotechnology company engaged in the development of products that prevent and disperse microbial biofilms, is pleased to announce positive results from an in vitro study using a novel approach to treat chronic wound infections with a combination of DispersinB and lytic bacteriophage.
The study carried out by Dr. Randy Wolcott's team at the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center in Lubbock, Texas, showed that the combination of DispersinB with a bacteriophage mixture was very effective against biofilm-embedded E.coli. More specifically, the DispersinB and bacteriophage mixture showed almost 99% inhibition of E.coli growth and proliferation as compared to only 9% inhibition by the bacteriophage mixture alone over the four day period of treatment. While DispersinB makes biofilm-embedded bacteria more susceptible to bacteriophage by inhibiting or dispersing biofilms, lytic bacteriophage invades bacterial cells and disrupts the metabolism of the bacteria. This combination therapy could provide a new and highly effective method of treating chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers.
"DispersinB degrades the defences of the biofilm, providing a synergistic effect when combined with bacteriophages. Our findings are very encouraging as DispersinB may also enhance the effectiveness of a number of antimicrobial agents in the treatment of chronic wounds" stated Dr. Wolcott. "I believe that DispersinB will also prove effective against other wound infection associated bacteria in combination with other antimicrobials and we are continuing our studies in this area."
"DispersinB is one of our lead technologies to prevent and disperse biofilms and is proving to have very broad applications in the medical field. This study adds further evidence to the growing knowledge base on the value of our technology", stated Gord Froehlich, President and CEO of Kane Biotech.
Chronic wounds are a serious debilitating complication of vascular disease, diabetes and prolonged immobility and are a huge unmet clinical need that costs the US health care system $20 billion per year. The current global market for wound care management technology is estimated at US$4.5 billon per year.
"Our DispersinB technology prevents and removes biofilms while the bacteriophages and antimicrobial agents offer broad spectrum microbial control. As a naturally occurring non-antibiotic antibiofilm enzyme, DispersinB is a compelling technology for clinical settings", added Mr. Froehlich.
About Dr. Randy Wolcott
Randall Wolcott, M.D., P.A., is the founder and medical director of the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center in Lubbock, Texas. The focus of Dr. Wolcott's clinical practice and research is wound healing. He is an expert in biofilm-based chronic wound management and was instrumental in initiating the research on chronic wounds at the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE) Bozeman, MT. Dr. Wolcott, CBE and the University of Washington received a $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA) in 2006 to find new ways to heal chronic wounds.
About the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center
The Southwest Regional Wound Care Center, located in Lubbock, Texas, is dedicated to healing wounds. As a leader in treating hard to heal wounds, everything the Center does is carefully designed to nurture, always putting the patient first. The Center specializes in wound healing using a biofilm-based wound care approach and treats up to 100 patients per day. The medical staff includes a physician, physician assistants, nurses, social workers, physical therapists, licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), certified hyperbaric oxygen technicians and clinical technicians.
About Kane Biotech Inc.
Kane Biotech is a biotechnology company engaged in the development of products to prevent and disperse microbial biofilms. Biofilms develop when bacteria, and other microorganisms, form a protective matrix that acts as a shield against attack. When in a biofilm, bacteria and other microorganisms become highly resistant to antibiotics, biocides, disinfectants, high temperatures and host immune responses. This resiliency contributes to human health problems such as recurrent urinary tract infections, medical device associated infections and tooth decay. Kane Biotech Inc. uses a patent protected technology based on molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation and methods for finding compounds that inhibit or disrupt biofilms. The Company has evidence that this technology has potential to significantly improve the ability to prevent and/or destroy biofilms in several medical and industrial applications.
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Contacts: Kane Biotech Inc. Justin Gagnon Manager, Investor Relations (204) 478-5602 (204) 453-1314 (FAX) Email: jgagnon@kanebiotech.com Website: www.kanebiotech.com
Released July 11, 2007