TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 26, 2010) - Primera Bioscience Research Inc. (“Primera Bioscience” or the “Corporation”) announces that The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Ontario, has presented a report to the Board on the research completed to date into stem cells in certain brain tumours. This on-going project has been funded by Primera Bioscience since February 2008.
Dr. Peter Dirks’ laboratory has been investigating the effectiveness of clinically used compounds, in particularly those previously used for a variety of human brain diseases, for their effectiveness on promoting regeneration of stem cells in the brain, or for their effectiveness in blocking the growth of brain tumours. For brain cancer, the Dirks laboratory is focused on targeting subpopulations of specialized stem cells that reside within these tumours, which have been shown to be uniquely responsible for tumour growth and resistance to conventional therapies. This is the work Primera Bioscience Research Inc. is supporting.
The Dirks laboratory is now testing a number of drugs that showed effectiveness on blocking human brain tumour stem cell growth in culture for their ability to block human tumour growth in animal models, which is the key stepping stone to move the drug to trials for human patients. They have preliminary, but promising results with 3 compounds in vivo. These drugs are now being subjected to further testing in animal models of brain tumours to confirm preliminary results. Further support will be used to test the effectiveness of drugs in greater numbers of animals, and in several different tumour models, which will strengthen a position to move forward to the clinic.
On February 3, 2010, Primera Bioscience submitted its final payment of $100,000 to complete its project funding obligation of $300,000. This final payment recognized the progress the Dirks Laboratory and SickKids have made in advancing the research objectives of this project.
Primera Bioscience is engaged in early stage biotech and related research. The Corporation currently has one project which is to collaborate with and provide $300,000 of funding for certain brain tumour and stem cell research being conducted by SickKids in Toronto, Ontario. This research is more fully described in the prospectus of Primera Bioscience dated July 23, 2008 which is filed on www.sedar.com.
WARNING: This News Release includes certain “forward-looking statements”. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding research and the potential results thereof, and future plans and objectives of Primera Bioscience, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Primera Bioscience’ expectations are exploration risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by Primera Bioscience with securities regulators.
No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
Contacts:
Primera Bioscience Research Inc.
Carolyn J. Rayfield
President and Chief Executive Officer
(416) 505-0425
(416) 352-5693 (FAX)
carolyn@rayfieldconsulting.com
