Enox Biopharma, Ltd., a leader in nitric oxide delivery technology for the prevention of hospital acquired infections announced today the enrollment of the first subjects in a phase 1a/1b study for the evaluation of the safety and tolerability of Nitric Oxide (NO) impregnated urinary catheters. The study primary aim of this first in man study is to assess the safety and tolerability of NO-charged Foley catheters left in place for 7 to 14 days following surgical removal of the prostate. This two-arm study will also measure and compare the biofilm formation on the surface of NO charged versus non-NO charged Foley catheters as well as measure the presence of bacterium in the urine of subjects managed with the different catheter types.
David Greenberg, M.D., Enox’s Chief Medical Officer and a Professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva, Israel, said: “Nitric Oxide is a foundation molecule of the human body’s immune system. This study is the first clinical step towards the use of NO gas to reduce dramatically hospital acquired infections which are also known as nosocomial infections”.
Prof. Jack Baniel, Head of the Urology department at Rabin Medical Center at Beilinson Campus adds: “Nosocomial infections remain a substantial burden on all healthcare systems despite best efforts at hospitals worldwide. The use of urology embedded NO catheters may serve as a major improvement in our goal of dramatically reducing hospital acquired infections”.
Prof Yossef Av Gay, Enox’s founder and professor of microbiology at the University of British Columbia, Canada, states: “The use Enox’s antimicrobial technology is uniquely positioned to address hospital acquired infection by utilizing the natural broad spectrum antimicrobial nitric oxide. Nitric oxide provides alternative means to antibiotics with limited chances of developing antimicrobial resistance.”
About Enox Biopharma, ltd.
Enox Biopharma Ltd. is an emerging biotechnology company with proprietary methods to impregnate nitric oxide (NO) into polymers. The innate immune system uses NO to block microbial growth – embedding NO into medical devices makes them antimicrobial. Enox’s device technology is applicable to variety of indwelling polymer medical devices including, but not limited to, catheters, endotracheal tubes and central venous catheters and implanted devices. Infections from these devices, which are often not reimbursed by Medicare, represent a massive financial burden to healthcare systems worldwide
