MONTREAL _ The potential of an oligosaccharide complex topreferentially bind to certain bacterial toxins has led to SynsorbBiotech Inc. (SBI) being granted a patent covering a new use of itscore technology.

The U.S. patent, No. 5,484,773, titled Treatment of AntibioticAssociated Diarrhea, relates to the potential treatment of Clostridiumdifficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) and pseudo membranous colitis(PMC) using novel Synsorbs.

CDAD, a potentially serious condition that can result in severedehydration, and ulceration of the colon, affects more than 3 millionpatients a year in the U.S., of which up to 20 percent experiencerecurring and relapsing infections. CDAD is primarily caused byantibiotic therapy in hospitalized patients and also occurs in theelderly and people who are immunosuppressed.

"This patent augments our existing patent base and provides SBI withits first broad pharmaceutical use patent for this novel use of Synsorbtechnology for the treatment of gastroenteric conditions," said DavidRafter, SBI's vice president of product development. "We anticipatefiling an investigational new drug application shortly and expect toinitiate clinical trials for this product as soon as possible."

SBI, of Calgary, Alberta, currently is marketing several bloodfractionation products based on Synsorb technology, and haslaunched an extensive product development program for a suite ofproducts designed to treat bacterial infections of the gastroenterictract.

Its lead product, Synsorb Pk, is a potential treatment for hemolyticuremic syndrome, a condition that currently has no therapeutictreatment. The product is in the advanced stages of a Phase IIIclinical trial in Canada. _ Peter Winter

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.