Biotech is the new buzzword for 2015, and these companies are making a big splash these days, offering potential investors a compelling array of options.
Among those to watch is Propanc Health Group Corporation (PPCH). Propanc is a developmental-stage health care company that is currently focusing its efforts in the field of new treatments for chronic diseases, particularly solid tumor cancers. The company was established in 2007 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
Propanc recently announced early data from animal studies using its patented formulas. Propanc’s in-development proteolytic proenzyme products (described by the company as inactive precursors of enzymes) were not associated with any adverse effects in the early studies, and the company is prepared to take the next steps in research. According to the company’s website, Propanc “intends to undertake Phase I, II, and III clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of our product in specific patient populations.”
Propanc’s proenzyme products, known as PRP and PRP-DCM, have the potential to be game-changers in the field of cancer care by offering effective options for long-term therapy without the excessive toxicity associated with many current cancer treatments. The company says the research is preliminary, and the findings need to be confirmed in clinical trials. However, the company’s stated development goals focus on the targeting of solid tumors, conditions for which most currently available treatments are limited to stabilizing the tumors or extending patients’ lives for only a few months. Solid tumor cancers include lung, colorectal, ovarian, pancreatic and liver, to name a few.
As the company states, “In each of these indications, there is a large market opportunity to capitalize on the limitations of current therapies.”
Scientists don’t yet fully understand how proenzyme products can fight cancer, but early research results suggest that they may contribute to an inhibition of growth factors that cause cancer. Additionally, Propanc is exploring a method to shrink tumor masses by targeting the tumor directly with an injectable form of PRP.
Propanc also is working with research collaborators to explore how its proenzyme products impact cancer cells. The goal of this research is to provide an opportunity for new, patentable drug development by the company.