Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:PAR) continues to advance its Phase 2 Ross River Virus Clinical Trial, with 25% of the 24-participant total having now been dosed across the initial two trial sites in Geelong and Brisbane.
This follows the commencement of the trial in August 2017.
A third trial site has been initiated in Echuca, and a fourth on the Gold Coast.
Trial participants will be evaluated for safety, tolerability and effects on disease symptoms, with results anticipated in Q2 CY2018.
Paul Rennie, chief executive officer, commented:
"We are very pleased to have such strong momentum in this trial so far, with a quarter of the 24-participant total now dosed following the trial’s commencement just last month.
"This strong start in recruiting eligible patients follows the outbreak of RRv seen earlier in 2017.
"Given RRv outbreaks are seasonal, we need to add more sites to keep our recruitment rates as high as possible.
"We look forward to initiating our fourth trial site in the Gold Coast over the coming weeks and recruiting more participants over the coming months.
"Ross River virus is a disease with a significant unmet medical need and we hope that PPS can prove to be an effective treatment.
"Current therapeutics can help to manage the joint pain associated with the virus but they have not been shown to treat the detrimental effects on joint cartilage that are associated with the disease.
"Current treatment options are also often inadequate in providing symptom relief, or associated with significant gastrointestinal side effects in patients with symptoms of joint pain which persist beyond the acute phase."