Toronto, Ontario – October 16, 2014 –Theralase Technologies Inc. (“Theralase®”) (TSXV: TLT) (TLTFF: OTC Link®) announced today that it has presented its latest research on the success of its Photo Dynamic Compounds (“PDCs”) in the destruction of cancer and bacteria. This research was presented at the 10th International Symposium on Photodynamic Therapy and Photodiagnosis in Clinical Practice, taking place in Brixen, Italy from October 14 to 18, 2014.
Cancer remains one of the top human conditions and effective minimal or non-invasive treatments with low side effects and high success rates are urgently needed. Photo Dynamic Therapy (“PDT”), the combination of a Photo Dynamic Compound (“PDC”) and a specific wavelength of light to produce cytotoxic (cell death) oxygen species, has been shown to be a promising avenue for cancer treatment.
Theralase’s first preclinical presentation focused on the efficacy of its three lead PDCs to effectively destroy cancer cells in vitro (cells in external vessels), ex vivo (tissue outside the living body), and in vivo (tissue within the living body) at various wavelengths (400 to 810 nm) (violet to Near Infrared (“NIR”)).
All the PDCs were stable in human urine; thus making them ideally suited for use in the bladder environment. The PDCs attached to both intact and disrupted rat epithelium (bladder lining), opening up the possibility of utilizing the PDCs for the treatment of Transitional Cell Carcinomas (“TCCs”), which comprise more than 90% of all bladder cancers.
These PDCs absorb light between 400 and 810 nm (violet to NIR), are resistant to photo bleaching (loss of effectiveness after exposure to light), are soluble in water or propylene glycol (allowing for instillation in the bladder) and when combined with their ability to switch from a Type II (oxygen dependent) to a Type I (oxygen independent) photo-effect, they are ideally suitable for destruction of bladder cancer.
Theralase observed consistent tumor regression following PDT treatment. Tumor regression is a minimum requirement for tumor protection, as reinjection of cancer cells into the opposite flank resulted in no tumor formation. These ?ndings demonstrate that NIR PDT leads not only to longstanding clearance of cancerous tumors, but also provides long-lasting protection against further tumor cell re-challenges in young (8-10 weeks) and aged (12-14 months) mice.
On observation, the tumors were deep and diverse in the untreated animals; however, completely destroyed in the PDT treated animals, suggesting that the Theralase PDCs elicit a strong immune-mediated response. These findings will propel the Theralase PDC as a first line treatment for cancer, if these results are replicated in humans.
In the second preclinical presentation, a Theralase PDC demonstrated effective Photo Dynamic Inactivation (“PDI”) of bacteria and may prove to be an effective methodology in the destruction of nosocomial (hospital acquired) infections and infected wound sepsis (bacterial infection in tissue).
Nosocomial infections are often severe and life threatening, particularly in patients with a compromised immune system due to underlining pathologies such as: cancer, cystic fibrosis, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (“AIDS”) and diabetes. Infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria are one of the major worldwide public health problems today. PDI combines a PDC and light to produce oxygen radicals in order to induce controlled and localized bacteria kill. The Theralase PDI has been proven to be effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria under both normoxic (normal oxygen) and hypoxic (low oxygen) conditions and has become a promising tool in disease prevention. The Theralase PDCs have been shown to be highly effective (99.999999%) against numerous species of bacteria, including: Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE), and Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria). Theralase’s latest research has revealed that singlet oxygen (Type II effect) and hydroxyl radicals (Type I effect) are playing a role in the mechanisms of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria kill. Theralase has established two animal models: an acute mouse model of infected wound sepsis and a chronic septic wound model that Theralase used to prove the efficacy of PDI via Type I and Type II mechanisms. The treated wounds in the animals healed completely within 2 weeks after PDI.
Theralase believes that PDI can thus provide a viable option as a clinical therapeutic against multi drug resistant infections.
Roger Dumoulin-White, President and CEO of Theralase Inc. stated that, “Theralase is delighted that our latest cutting edge research was accepted for presentation at one of the finest Photo Dynamic Symposiums in the world. This underscores the importance of the work that Theralase has completed in the destruction of both cancer and bacteria and allows our international peers the opportunity to review and learn more about our ground breaking work.”
Dr. Arkady Mandel, Chief Scientific Officer of Theralase Inc. stated that, “Our dedicated team of scientists have worked tirelessly to prove the safety and efficacy of the Theralase PDC platform in the destruction of cancer and bacteria. I am delighted that their hard work is receiving the international accreditation that it deserves.”
About Theralase Technologies Inc.
Founded in 1994, Theralase Technologies Inc. (“Theralase®”) (TSXV: TLT) (TLTFF: OTC Link®) designs, manufactures and markets patented super-pulsed laser technology used for the elimination of pain, reduction of inflammation and dramatic acceleration of tissue healing. Theralase has sold over 1,200 systems to licensed healthcare practitioners such as: medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists and athletic therapists. Theralase has been very successful in healing nerve, muscle and joint conditions in clinical practice and now Theralase’s scientists are investigating the application of its lasers in the destruction of cancer using specially designed molecules called Photo Dynamic Compounds (“PDCs”), which localize to the DNA of cancer cells and then, when light activated, destroy the cancer cells.
Additional information is available at www.theralase.com and www.sedar.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company’s current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those projected herein. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
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For More Information:
Roger Dumoulin-White
President & CEO
Theralase Technologies Inc.
1.866.THE.LASE (843-5273) ext. 225
416.699.LASE (5273) ext. 225