Circassia announces advancement in T-cell allergy vaccines development

Circassia LtdSep 30 2010

Circassia Ltd, a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on allergy, today announced that it has further advanced the clinical development of three of its leading T-cell allergy vaccines.' In recent weeks, Circassia has initiated phase II clinical testing of its grass allergy (hayfever) therapy, begun the final stage of phase II testing with its ragweed allergy treatment and progressed phase III development plans for its cat allergy therapy. This progress builds on four earlier successful phase II studies of Circassia's ToleroMune(R) technology, which scientifically validated the use of novel T-cell vaccines in treating allergies and identified the optimal dosing approach.

Following these advances, Circassia now has four allergy therapies in late-stage development:

1. Cat allergy. The company's most advanced T-cell vaccine is currently completing its final phase II study. The trial, which includes over 200 patients in Canada, is the first to test Circassia's room-temperature-stable ToleroMune formulation. In parallel, Circassia is progressing phase III development plans for its cat allergy therapy, following a positive endorsement from the European Medicines Agency's scientific advice process.

2. Ragweed allergy. Circassia has initiated the final phase II trial with its ragweed allergy ToleroMune therapy. This 275-patient trial builds on a recently completed phase II study, which demonstrated the potential clinical benefits Circassia's T-cell vaccine can offer ragweed allergy sufferers.

3. Grass allergy (hayfever). Circassia recently initiated phase II clinical testing of its grass allergy T-cell vaccine. Results from the study are anticipated in 2011.

4. House dust mite allergy. Circassia's therapy for house dust mite allergy began phase II testing in early 2010. The initial study is near completion.

"These recent clinical advances demonstrate Circassia's commitment to bringing its unique T-cell allergy vaccines to market as rapidly as possible," said Steve Harris, Circassia's CEO. "Since the founding of Circassia just four years ago, our ToleroMune(R) technology has successfully completed multiple phase II studies, and we now have four therapies in mid-stage development, targeting some of the most common allergies in the world. As a result, our growing clinical database demonstrates the potential of our novel T-cell vaccines to provide allergy sufferers with short, simple and convenient treatment, whilst minimising the risk of severe and sometimes life-threatening side effects associated with many existing immunotherapies."