Investor Centre

A Pharmaxis (ASX:PXS) drug discovery has entered a world first clinical trial aiming to stop scars forming after trauma, particularly following burn injuries. Distinguished surgeon and burns expert Professor Fiona Wood AM is leading a group of researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA) and Fiona Stanley Hospital to test the treatment in the first human trials. Skin scarring after events such as accidents, surgery or burns place a substantial physical and psychological burden on patients. 

Professor Fiona Wood said, “It’s exciting for the research team to explore a novel path to reduce scarring and to be moving closer to that goal. Scar-less healing is the vision that has motivated our work over many decades.”

The Pharmaxis discovery, known as PXS-6302, has shown promising pre-clinical results in inhibiting the enzymes that play a critical role in the development of scar tissue.

Dr Kylie Sandy-Hodgetts, Senior Research Fellow at the School of Biomedical Sciences, UWA, said, “Current treatments aim to rectify the scar in the acute phase such as during wound healing and scar maturation through options such as compression therapy, silicone gel sheeting or when the scar is established by cryotherapy, scar revision or laser with limited outcomes at times.”

“This new compound may potentially avoid the need for invasive procedures such as further surgery or laser procedures.”

 The world-first human trial will determine the safety and tolerability of the product in healthy volunteers, which will lead to further trials in burns and surgical patients.