Health: Gut treatment progress gives Anatara a 24pc boost

Gut health campaigner Anatara Lifesciences (ASX:ANR) has gained 24 per cent in the past two days on news its Gastrointestinal ReProgramming (GaRP) supplement for bowel issues was safe and on track for a clinical trial next year.

The Australian company pioneering for human and animal gut health gained 22 per cent by late yesterday to close at 22.5c after it shared the results of a lab study.

Anatara found the drug was safe and also enhanced the effects of fairly common prescription meds for gut problems.

This morning the $11m company was up a further 2 per cent to 23c on finalising a protocol for trying out GaRP in people, as timetabled, next year.

Anatara’s share price is down 51 per cent over 12 months, compared to the ASX200’s 22 per cent gain.

Closing the GaRP

Today Anatara chief executive officer Steven Lydeamore reminded investors that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was an issue with a major unmet medical need.

“Our GaRP dietary supplement has the potential to be game-changing,” he said.

“The activity of the product is due to its unique formulation and has the added advantage of being able to be fast-tracked to consumers, as the traditional, formal drug pathway for approval is not required.”

Meeting that need with a solution backed by evidence could be an opportunity, Lydeamore noted.

People with IBS and inflammatory bowel disease really struggle with the condition and about half will try complementary medicines to go along with conventional treatments, according to Anatara.

The size of the market they call CAMS — complementary and alternative medicines — is pretty big, with the over-the-counter digestive CAMS market worth about $US8 billion ($11.6 billion) in 2018.

In other ASX health news today:

Clinical trial partners of cancer drug developer Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) have grabbed a grant from Cancer Australia’s Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme.

University of Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research Professor Frédéric Hollande, the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre and other collaborators will use the funds to study Telix’s monoclonal antibody agent Girentuximab (TLX250) over three years as a potential targeted radiation drug for treating bowel cancer that’s spread to other parts of the body. Girentuximab can also be used in kidney cancer, which is a priority for Telix.

Kidney drug dose-monitoring data analyst Osprey Medical (ASX:OSP) gained 7.1 per cent this morning to trade at 3c after providing an achievements update and booking a conference call to speak about December quarter results on Tuesday, January 23, 2020. Full-year results from the $13m company, whose share price is down a hairy 70 per cent over the past 12 months, are expected on February 27 next year.