Clinical-stage drug development company Syntara (ASX:SNT) has announced new findings from a subgroup analysis of 14 patients from the placebo-controlled SOLARIA2 trial.
The trial is focused on the safety and tolerability of Syntara's topical pan-lysyl oxidase (pan-LOX) inhibition for skin scarring.
The company said these newly obtained findings are based on using advanced imaging technology (Optical Coherence Tomography, OCT) to analyse a 14-patient subset. After three months, patients receiving SNT-6302 treatment showed significant improvements in scar vascularisation and extracellular matrix remodelling compared to placebo-treated patients.
OCT enables accurate measurement of changes in the deeper part of scar tissue, providing insights into the underlying biological composition of scars.
The company said this imaging analysis provides compelling evidence supporting SNT-6302, with scars appearing structurally and biologically closer to normal, uninjured skin. The company said the data also corroborate previously reported biochemical data obtained from the SOLARIA2 patient scar biopsies, which demonstrated that just three months of treatment led to significant reductions in collagen and protein content of established scars many years after injury.
Dr Mark Fear, the lead researcher for the SOLARIA2 trial at the burn injury research unit at the University of Western Australia and the Fiona Wood Foundation, said, "SOLARIA2 represents a paradigm shift in scarring treatment. OCT provides a noninvasive objective measurement of scar structure and clearly shows the positive changes that occur due to inhibition of lysyl oxidases. For the first time, we've seen pharmaceutical intervention safely and effectively reverse the molecular and structural changes of established scars. The learnings from this study will shape future clinical approaches to scar management and prevention."
Syntara said that with the new findings from SOLARIA2, it is finalising future clinical development plans for its skin scarring program and considering the significant potential application in both the prevention and treatment of scarring.
CEO Gary Phillips added, "These new findings significantly enhance our understanding of scarring and the impact of topical pan-LOX inhibitors. Combining these insights with global input from patients and clinicians, we are now in a good position to advance the development of a first-in-class treatment for scarring that addresses significant cosmetic and functional challenges."
