AFT Pharmaceuticals announced its partnership with Hyloris Pharmaceuticals, based in Belgium, to develop a novel treatment, HY-091, for Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus (VLS), addressing the critical need for effective solutions in an area where approved treatments are limited.
According to the ASX-listed company, HY-091, a mucosal adhesive patch product based on a known pharmaceutical compound, emerges as a potential game-changer for managing VLS.
The innovative treatment boasts an extended duration of action and introduces a convenient application method, ensuring simplicity and compliance for patients grappling with the disease.
Under the terms of the agreement, AFT and Hyloris will co-invest in the development of HY-091, encompassing efforts for registration, approval, and global commercialisation.
This collaboration capitalises on the combined strengths of both companies, leveraging AFT’s robust internal R&D capabilities and Hyloris’s expertise in clinical trial management.
Dr Hartley Atkinson, managing director of AFT Pharmaceuticals, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “This additional collaboration combines the strengths of AFT and Hyloris and leverages our current Maxigesic IV and Burning Mouth Syndrome R&D partnerships.”
He continued, “I look forward to realizing the success and growth potential the medicine offers our companies and importantly assisting our combined international expansion goals.”
He further affirmed the company’s commitment to expanding its research and development pipeline, highlighting ongoing diligence on two additional projects.
“We continue to pursue an expansion of the R&D pipeline, recognizing that these projects underpin our aspirations for long-term global expansion,” Dr Atkinson added.
Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic and distressing inflammatory disease, significantly impacting the quality of life for those affected.
HY-091, designed as a user-friendly mucoadhesive film product, addresses the discomfort, itching, and pain associated with VLS.
With no curative treatment currently available, VLS predominantly affects postmenopausal women, although children and premenopausal women may also be impacted.
Advanced disease poses severe challenges to the quality of life and is linked to an increased risk of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.
Despite its prevalence, VLS remains significantly underdiagnosed, affecting 0.1 per cent to three per cent of the general population.
