Mar
12,
2019
Mar 12, 2019
Lallemand pharma is pleased to announce that Ismigen®, our PMBL® tablets (Polyvalent Mechanical Bacterial Lysates), have been launched by UniMed UniHealth Pharmaceuticals Ltd, our distributor and manufacturer of finished product, in Bangladesh. This drug is indicated in the prevention of respiratory tract infections.
In the frame of Ismigen launch there, two scientific seminars have been organized at National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 17th 2019 and at Samson H. Chowdhury Centre Dhaka Club in the presence of Bangladesh key opinion leaders in the field of respiratory tract infections, ranging from otolaryngologists to allergologists and internal medicine specialists.
Pr Guido Ferlazzo, MD (Professor of General Pathology and Immunology – University of Messina, Italy) spoke about an additional mechanism of action of PMBL® tablets.
He demonstrated, in an in-vitro model of human bronchial cells, that PMBL induced the proliferation of bronchial epithelial cells and the up-regulation of the adherens junction molecules.
These results are of importance, showing some potential effects of PMBL directly on the airway epithelial cells, which could reinforce the bronchial mucosal barrier as well as the healing process during chronic inflammation.
In addition, Prof. Ferlazzo, in this occasion, showed still unpublished data obtained in his Laboratory showing that human bronchial cells can sense by specific receptors the presence of PMBL and eventually release high amount of amphiregulin (a soluble factor responsible for the observed cell proliferation) and of b-defensin, a small cationic molecule with potent anti-microbial activity.
As airways epithelial cells play a key role in innate and mucosal defenses, by providing a mechanical barrier to microbial entry, signaling to leukocytes and directly killing pathogens (release of small cationic molecules, such as the b-defensins, LL-37, or larger proteins, such lysozyme, lactoferrin), the maintenance of their integrity is critical to ensure an efficient immune response.
Finally, Pr Ferlazzo presented AIACE clinical study results and concluded, despite a non-statistical evidence in the primary endpoint, that PMBL, as add-on therapy in COPD patients, demonstrated significant increase of the time between exacerbations and significant reduction by over two-fold of the number of days of hospitalization, an important criteria in terms of pharmacoeconomics.
During the second scientific seminar, Pr Guido Ferlazzo presented the role of Bacterial Lysates in the prophylaxis of respiratory tract infections. In view of the additional mechanisms of actions identified with PMBL® tablets (i.e. local reinforcement of mucosal innate barriers), he highlighted as the sublingual mode of administration offers an obvious unique advantage.
Improving these innate barriers at the gate of entry for pathogens involved in respiratory infections, i.e. oropharynx, PMBL® tablets will help to prevent airway infective pathologies such as rhinosinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis and otitis.
“Upon my presentations in Dhaka” Prof. Ferlazzo said,”I had the feeling that the local medical community enthusiastically greeted this new drug. I met competent colleagues extremely keen to hear about these novel mechanisms of action of PMBL, recently discovered by my research group. We widely discussed the potential of PMBL administration in the context of the respiratory diseases most commonly occurring in Bangladesh. I also believe that it might be possible to start in the next future some collaborative studies to assess the impact of PMBL also in locally endemic diseases, such as tuberculosis.”
Lallemand Pharma specially thanks Pr Guido Ferlazzo for his precious contribution to make science evolving in the field of bacterial lysates; Mr. Mossadek Hossain, Managing Director, UniMed UniHealth Pharmaceuticals, and Mr Rezaur Siddiqui, Marketing Manager for allowing the introduction of PMBL in Bangladesh and for the organization of these two days of congresses, and all the Professors who attended to the seminars as panel of experts : Prof Mustafizur Rahman, President, Bangladesh Society of Allergy and Immunology, Prof. Mirza Mohammad Hiron, President, Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh, Prof Kamrul Hassan Tarafder, President, Bangladesh Society of Otolaryngologists and Head Neck Surgeons, Prof. Rashidul Hassan, President, Bangladesh Lung Foundation, Prof Khan Abul Kalam Azad, Former President, Bangladesh Society of Medicine and Principal, Dhaka Medical College, Prof. Md. Ali Hossain, Secretary General, Bangladesh Lung Foundation.
