Full Press Release Details
Protalix BioTherapeutics Announces Positive
from Phase II Clinical Trial of alidornase alfa (AIR DNaseTM) for the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis
Positive Results in a Number of Clinically
Relevant Parameters Suggest
Improved Lung Function with alidornase alfa
CARMIEL, Israel, April 12, 2017 -- Protalix BioTherapeutics,
Inc. (NYSE MKT:PLX) (TASE:PLX), announced today positive results from the Company's phase II clinical trial of alidornase
alfa for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Sixteen patients were enrolled in the study, all of whom completed the study. alidornase
alfa is a plant cell-expressed, chemically-modified recombinant DNase enzyme resistant to inhibition by actin, which the Company
has specifically designed to enhance the enzyme's efficacy in CF patients.
The phase II trial is a 28-day switchover study to evaluate
the safety and efficacy of alidornase alfa in CF patients previously treated with Pulmozyme (currently the only
commercially available DNase therapy). Participation in the trial was preceded by a two-week washout period from Pulmozyme
before treatment with alidornase alfa via inhalation.
The primary efficacy results show that treatment with alidornase
alfa resulted in clinically meaningful lung function improvement, as demonstrated by a mean absolute increase in the percent predicted
forced expiratory volume in one second (ppFEV1) of 3.4 points from baseline. Moreover, a mean absolute increase in ppFEV1 of 2.8
points was also observed in patients participating in the trial when compared to measurements taken from patients at initiation
before the switch from Pulmozyme to alidornase alfa.
A commercially available small molecule CFTR modulator for the
treatment of CF has reported a mean absolute increase in ppFEV1 of 2.5 from baseline in its registration clinical study. This score
was achieved while 74% of the patients participating in the trial of the CFTR modulator were also treated with the modulator on
top of Pulmozyme . While this marketed CFTR addresses a certain mutation applicable to less than 50% of CF patients,
alidornase alfa is being developed to treat all CF patients.
Sputa available DNA samples were analyzed for approximately
half of the patients. A mean reduction of over 70% in DNA content from baseline was observed, and a mean reduction of over 90%
from baseline was observed for sputa visco-elasticity. Correlation between improvement in sputa parameters and pulmonary function
In addition, an in vitro study of alidornase alfa demonstrated
a significant inhibition of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, with alidornase alfa treated colonies reduced by over 50%, compared to baseline.
Pseudomonas, strains of bacteria that are widely found in the environment, are a major cause of lung infections in CF patients.
Chronic pulmonary infection is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in CF patients, despite the aggressive use of antibiotics,
and Pseudomonas is the most prevalent organism in the airway colonization of CF patients.
PK analysis performed indicated alidornase alfa is not absorbed
into a patient's circulatory system, suggesting higher levels of alidornase alfa remains available in the patient's
lungs. This provides further support for the potential that alidornase alfa may offer additional efficacy to CF patients.
The above-mentioned material decrease in visco-elasticity and
DNA presence in CF patients' sputa, coupled with the significant inhibition of Pseudomonas and higher levels of alidornase
alfa available in the patients' lungs, provides further supportive evidence of improved lung function after treatment with
alidornase alfa, as demonstrated by the increase in FEV1.
alidornase alfa was well tolerated with no serious adverse events
reported, and all adverse events that occurred during the study were mild and transient in nature.
"The efficacy and safety results of alidornase alfa are
very encouraging as they demonstrate data that are clinically relevant which brings new hope to CF patients living with this devastating
disease," said Professor Eitan Kerem, Chairman of Pediatrics, Head of The Cystic Fibrosis Center, Hadassah University Hospital,
and a Principal Investigator in the clinical trial. "I look forward to taking part in future clinical studies of alidornase
alfa as I believe it has the potential to become a gold standard treatment for all CF patients."
"We are very excited with the clinical data showing a
significant, clinically meaningful improvement in efficacy, and potentially offering new alternatives to all CF patients,"
commented Moshe Manor, Protalix's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to exploring different paths
for advancing the clinical development of alidornase alfa."
Data from the study was accepted as an oral presentation at
the 40th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference to be held in June 2017.
About Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.
Protalix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development
and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through its proprietary plant cell-based expression system,
ProCellEx . Protalix's unique expression system presents a proprietary method for developing recombinant proteins
in a cost-effective, industrial-scale manner. Protalix's first product manufactured by ProCellEx, taliglucerase alfa, was
approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2012 and, subsequently, by the regulatory authorities
of other countries. Protalix has licensed to Pfizer Inc. the worldwide development and commercialization rights for taliglucerase
alfa, excluding Brazil, where Protalix retains full rights. Protalix's development pipeline includes the following product
candidates: PRX-102, a modified version of the recombinant human alpha-GAL-A protein for the treatment of Fabry disease; PRX-106,
an orally delivered anti-inflammatory treatment; PRX-110, a chemically modified DNase I for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis; and
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include, among others: failure or delay in the commencement or completion of our preclinical and clinical trials which may be caused
by several factors, including: slower than expected rates of patient recruitment; unforeseen safety issues; determination of dosing
issues; lack of effectiveness during clinical trials; inability to monitor patients adequately during or after treatment; inability
or unwillingness of medical investigators and institutional review boards to follow our clinical protocols; and lack of sufficient
funding to finance clinical trials; the risk that the results of the clinical trials of our product candidates will not support
our claims of safety or efficacy, that our product candidates will not have the desired effects or will be associated with undesirable
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risks related to the successful conclusion of our negotiations with the Brazilian Ministry of Health regarding the purchase of
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The Trout Group, LLC
Source: Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.