Medinox and PUMC Pharmaceutical Company to collaborate in China and South Korea
Medinox, based in Carlsbad, California, and PUMC Pharmaceutical Company, of Beijing, China, have entered into a partnering agreement to develop and market NOX-100 for treating septic shock patients in China and South Korea.
Medinox, based in Carlsbad, California, and PUMC Pharmaceutical Company, of Beijing, China, have entered into a partnering agreement to develop and market NOX-100 for treating septic shock patients in China and South Korea.
Under the terms of the agreement, PUMC is responsible for registration, reimbursement, manufacturing and marketing of NOX-100 in the territories. Medinox will receive milestone payments and a royalty on commercialised product.
NOX-100 (Norathiol) is the first in a series of proprietary small molecule anti-nitric oxide (NO) agents that Medinox has created. The company completed a Phase I/II trial in the US in January 2004 in patients with severe septic shock. The results indicated a beneficial effect for NOX-100 with a possible survival advantage and an excellent safety profile.
These NO-neutralizers represent a novel therapeutic approach by removing the dangerously over-produced NO in inflamed tissues while sparing the low levels of NO in normal tissues that are vitally necessary for many ongoing organ functions. It is estimated that the number of septic shock patients in the US and China are 600,000 and 2 million per year respectively, with a mortality rate of about 50%.
'Through this collaboration, Medinox and PUMC expect to launch the NOX-100 septic shock drug in Asian markets in four years,' said Dr Monte Lai, ceo of Medinox. He added: 'This will enable us to plan further development of the product in the US.'