ASX Health Stocks: Race Oncology is set to expand its clinical trial to Spain and Italy

Race Oncology expands its Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of Zantrene to Europe
Nova Eye roll out iTrack Advance in select markets in Europe and the Asia Pacific
Microba’s autoimmune disease program has officially commenced

Race Oncology to expand trial to Europe

Race Oncology (ASX:RAC) announced that it was expanding its clinical trial to five additional sites in Spain and Italy.

Race is currently conducting a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of Zantrene in patients with AML (acute myeloid leukaemia) and MDS (myelodysplastic syndromes).

Called BISECT (RAC-006), the trial recently received ethics and governance approval to commence patient recruitment at the Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle.

Race says the expansion of the trial to Europe will accelerate patient recruitment, as well as any response required to satisfy European investigator interest in Zantrene.

The company estimates total study costs to be in the range of $7.7 million to a maximum of $15.4 million, with the final cost dependent on the location and number of patients screened and enrolled.

“We are pleased that we have received strong interest in our BISECT (RAC-006) EMD, AML and MDS study from experienced European haematologists,” said Race chief medical officer, Dr David Fuller.

“These clinicians identify a significant unmet need for the treatment of EMD, AML and MDS, and want to be actively involved in EMD clinical research.

“We look forward to activating these sites once we have cleared the necessary European Regulatory and Ethics approval process,” he said.

Race Oncology share price today:

Nova Eye ships order to surgeons

Nova Eye Medical (ASX:EYE) has commenced a commercial roll-out of its canaloplasty device, the iTrack Advance, in select markets in Europe and the Asia Pacific.

The iTrack Advance is a consumable surgical device for glaucoma, which builds on Nova Eye’s proprietary iTrack technology.

Initial orders for iTrack Advance have been received, and the first shipments have been made to surgeons.

The company says that early sales numbers and encouraging surgeon feedback provide solid momentum for future sales growth in FY23.

According to Nova Eye CEO, Tom Spurling, most of its global markets have seen a marked increase in surgeon interest in canaloplasty.

“As an implant-free procedure that preserves the trabecular meshwork for subsequent procedures, canaloplasty offers significant utility to surgeons and their patients,” Spurling explained.

“The introduction of the iTrack Advance underscores our commitment to grow the canaloplasty field.”

Nova Eye share price today:

Microba’s autoimmune disease program commences

Microba Life Sciences (ASX:MAP) says that its Autoimmune Disease program has officially commenced, with the first strains from Microba’s biobank supplied to development partner, Ginkgo Bioworks.

The agreement with Ginkgo (NYSE: DNA) was already announced in April, and today’s announcement marks the start of these activities.

Under the agreement, Microba and Ginkgo will target the development of novel microbiome-based therapies for three autoimmune disorders: lupus, psoriatic arthritis and certain autoimmune liver diseases.

The partnership brings together Microba’s proprietary therapeutic platform with Ginkgo’s automated screening capabilities at Ginkgo’s Foundry facilities in Boston.

From this partnership, Microba will be able to leverage Ginkgo’s capabilities in anaerobic culturing, multi-omics data collection and analysis, functional bioassay screening, and media and fermentation optimisation capabilities.

“The partnership with Ginkgo will accelerate the identification of microbial therapeutic leads for autoimmune diseases and help us to select the most promising candidates,” said Microba’s chief scientific officer, Associate Professor Lutz Krause.