• PYC starts human trials for PYC-001 to treat rare eye disease
  • OncoSil device successfully treats first patient in Türkiye, enabling tumour removal 

 

PYC to start human trials for rare eye disease

PYC Therapeutics (ASX:PYC) has received approval to start human trials for its new drug candidate, PYC-001, targeting Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy (ADOA), a rare and blinding eye disease.

The company has already notified the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and plans to begin these trials in Australia this quarter.

PYC-001 will be tested in a Single Ascending Dose (SAD) study, where patients with ADOA will receive a single dose of the drug in one eye.

This follows PYC’s recent success with its drug for Retinitis Pigmentosa, which showed promising safety and effectiveness.

The trials will take place at two sites in Australia and will involve patients over 18 with a confirmed OPA1 mutation linked to ADOA.

A mutation in the OPA1 gene disrupts mitochondrial function in retinal ganglion cells, which are essential for sending visual information to the brain. This leads to progressive vision loss, starting with reduced visual acuity and peripheral vision, and can eventually result in blindness.

The study will test three different doses of PYC-001 (3 micrograms, 10 micrograms, and 30 micrograms) – with each dose group including three patients.

The main goals of the study are to assess any adverse events and serious adverse events, as well as to monitor changes in visual function.

The results from this study will help design a larger, registrational study expected to begin in 2026.

PYC-001 has already received an Orphan Drug Designation from the US FDA.

 

Patient in Türkiye successfully treated with OncoSil device

Meanwhile in Türkiye, OncoSil Medical’s (ASX:OSL) device has been successfully used to treat its first commercial patient at Memorial Hospital in Istanbul, where the patient’s pancreatic tumour was successfully removed.

The patient, initially diagnosed with locally advanced pancreatic cancer that was deemed inoperable, received OncoSil treatment alongside chemotherapy.

The OncoSil treatment uses a specialised device to deliver targeted radiation directly to pancreatic tumours, helping to shrink them and improve their operability.

Prof. Dr. Koray Acarli, the surgeon who performed the resection, praised the OncoSil device for enhancing the effectiveness of traditional therapies, offering new hope to patients previously considered inoperable.

“This breakthrough offers new hope for patients who were previously considered inoperable, and we are excited about the future possibilities this treatment combination holds,” he said.

Similarly, Prof. Dr. Cuneyt Turkmen, a nuclear medicine specialist who administered the OncoSil treatment, said the OncoSil device has provided a new avenue for treatment.

“This case highlights the potential of OncoSil to transform the treatment landscape for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.”

The development is a big thumbs up to OncoSil’s effectiveness in a new international market and will support its global expansion.

Oncosil’s stock price surged by 10% this morning.

 

 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

 

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