Quest PharmaTech Announces Interim Results from Phase I/II Clinical Trial for Photodynamic Treatment for Ha...( TSX Ven...)

TSX Venture: QPT

EDMONTON, June 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Quest PharmaTech Inc. (TSX-V: QPT), ("Quest" or the "Company"), today announced interim results from its Phase I/II clinical study designed to investigate appropriate treatment parameters for the potential use of its proprietary compound SL017 for hair removal applications. The interim results represent data from the first 80 patients enrolled in the targeted 100-patient clinical trial.

"The Phase I/II interim results demonstrated that SL017 is safe and well tolerated when used either alone or in combination with photo activation," said Madi Madiyalakan, Chief Executive Officer of Quest. "These results, along with results from the previous clinical trial, support the utility of SL017 for hair removal applications, especially for those who do not benefit from light treatment alone."

To permanently remove unwanted hair, existing laser hair removal techniques require four to eight treatments, and provide only a 75 to 85 percent permanent hair reduction in a limited patient population. The professional laser hair removal market is estimated to be $5 billion worldwide.

Quest is developing SL017 photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a potential hair removal solution that is effective across a broad patient population including those with light colored hair (for example, grey or blonde hair). In a Phase I clinical trial, Quest demonstrated the preferential localization of SL017 in hair follicles, which suggested that cutaneous PDT with SL017 has potential for permanent hair removal applications.

The Phase I/II trial of SL017 was designed to evaluate the effect of skin treatment on follicular uptake of SL017, assess the tolerable light dose on healthy subjects, and subsequently, determine the efficacy of hair removal under optimal treatment conditions. Results from this study will be used to guide the design of future clinical development.

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