Portage Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (PPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Portage Biotech Inc. (Portage), has further validated its platform cell penetrating peptide technology for safely delivering a potent anti-inflammatory cargo into eye tissues.  Its lead compound PPL-003 showed success in two studies in rabbits.

In the first study, topical eye administration of PPL-003 at the highest feasible dose was well tolerated with no abnormal clinical or pathological findings.   In the second study PPL-003 demonstrated efficacy in an experimental uveitis model by significantly suppressing the cellular inflammatory response in the anterior chamber and reducing the protein content of the anterior chamber aqueous humor..  These results in rabbits clearly demonstrated at least a ten-fold safety margin and confirmed the topical anti-inflammatory activity of PPL-003 previously demonstrated in a mouse uveitis model.  PPL is continuing its uveitis program working toward an IND submission in 2016.

Dr. Bruce Littman, the CEO of Portage, said "these results are exciting for a number of reasons.  First they confirmed the topical eye activity and safety margin of PPL-003 in a second species and one that will be used for regulatory safety studies to support our future IND submission.  Second, uveitis is an important medical condition that causes 10-15% of all cases of total blindness, the third leading cause of preventable blindness in the United States.  Despite current treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs, uveitis associated blindness is increasing worldwide.  In addition these available treatments often cause significant ocular adverse events such as glaucoma and cataracts while systemic immunosuppression is associated with the risks of opportunistic infection and cancer.  Clearly more efficacious and safer therapies are needed.  Our recent findings and the medical need in this area give the company the confidence to proceed to the next stage of development that will lead to clinical trials in 2016."

Portage is engaged in researching and developing pharmaceutical and biotech products through to clinical "proof of concept" with an initial focus on unmet clinical needs.