Renovo (LON:RNVO) said today Juvista, its potentially ground-breaking treatment for scarring, was safe in patients being treated after the removal of scar growths called keloids.
However as expected the phase I trial was unable to establish whether Juvista had any effect on scar reduction or the re-occurrence of the growth.
There are occasions where an early safety study of this kind will reveal signs of efficacy.
However many more do not. In Renovo’s case the outcome is hardly surprising as the trial was restricted to just 30 patients in the top dose.
The company is clear that it hit its ‘primary objectives’ covering the safety aspects.
‘We had to find out whether Juvista made the keloid worse,’ said chief executive Mark Ferguson.
‘The answer was definitely not. There are no safety issues at all. That was the whole purpose of the trial.
‘The implication of that is our entire programme remains on track and on schedule.’
Interesting as it is, this early work on keloids is of far less importance than the pivotal European phase III study on Juvista’s use after scar revision surgery.
Renovo has recruited 350 patients to the efficacy trial, and it is scheduled to report its findings in the first half of next year.