Superbowl lift-off for Paradigm arthritis drug shares after USA football trials news
Two time American Superbowl champion Thomas Everett is shaping up as a key player in the fight by an Adelaide headquartered biopharma company to make a drug used to alleviate osteoarthritis available to the public.
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A two time American Superbowl champion is shaping up as a key player in the fight by an Adelaide headquartered biopharma company to make a drug used to alleviate osteoarthritis available to the public.
ASX listed Paradigm yesterday announced it had commenced a program in the USA to test 10 patients with its repurposed drug Zilosul as part of an expanded access program (EAP) aimed at people with serious diseases or conditions for which there are no comparable or satisfactory therapy options available apart from clinical trials.
Under the EAP, Paradigm (which is headed up by Paul Rennie) will supply Zilosul to patients who have failed other more conservative therapies for knee osteoarthritis and for whom access has been requested by their doctors.
Thomas Everett, a 55-year-old former defensive player who won back to back Superbowl titles with the Dallas Cowboys in the early 1990s has been drafted onto the trials.
“As a former professional of the National Football League (NFL) I’ve suffered with osteoarthritis since later in my playing days and understand first-hand the debilitating effects of how it can affect a person’s life,” he said.
“I have tried pretty much all traditional treatment available without a ton of success so I am absolutely thrilled and very excited to be part of a study that could actually treat the underlying ailment and not just the symptoms.”
Richard Van Druten, formerly with the Kansas City chiefs is also being treated with Zilosul under the EAP.
“I have recently started walking comfortably and even jogging for the first time in many years. Not bad for 319lbs (144 kilos), knees have handled it a lot better since I have been on the treatment and I also seem to be losing weight.”
Last May the Advertiser reported how AFL Brownlow medallists Mark Ricciuto, Andrew Walker and Greg Williams had all experienced an uplift following earlier Paradigm drug trials.
“We continue to be encouraged by anecdotal feedback from each patient as they progress through the drug cycle,” Mr Rennie said.
Results of the current trials are expected in Q3 this year.
Paradigm shares closed up 35 per cent at $1.63.