Hope drug will prevent kidney disease

[okarol]

Hope drug will prevent kidney disease

August 18, 2008 02:00am

AUSTRALIAN scientists have developed a drug they say might prevent kidney disease and reduce the need for dialysis or transplants among patients already afflicted by the disease.

Scientists from the University of Melbourne, Melbourne's St Vincent's Hospital and Bio21 Institute say their breakthrough could be as important as the cervical cancer vaccine in securing Australia's reputation as a centre for medical discoveries, Fairfax newspapers reported today.

The drug prevents fibrosis, which irreversibly scars organs and is the underlying killer in ailments such as kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure and lung and liver problems, the report said.

Initial trials on rats have had a 100 per cent success rate.

Human trials on about 30 patients will begin soon.

The drug, known as FT-11, inhibits the production of a protein that causes fibrosis but will not inhibit healthy scarring such as that which forms after surgery.

The drug could earn up to $2 billion in its first year and deliver a windfall worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the University of Melbourne, which shares patent rights with a company, Fibrotech Therapeutics.

"This is the first drug of its kind in the world and the implications are enormous," project leader Associate Professor Darren Kelly said.

"If this comes to fruition, and we're confident with the results so far, it would be up there with the cervical cancer vaccine (Gardasil), even bigger.

"It would be the biggest blockbuster since blood pressure lowering drugs."

The drug will initially be developed to treat people with kidney disease caused by diabetes but could be given to patients in the early stages of kidney disease to help prevent it.

"This would basically mean taking one tablet a day rather than requiring eight hours of dialysis every few days," Prof Kelly said.

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24197928-5005962,00.html?from=public_rss