Key Developments For Novogen Ltd
Novogen Ltd (NVGN.O) (Consolidated Issue listed on NASDAQ Global Market)
Novogen Limited Announces Senior Management Changes
Novogen Limited announced that CEO and Managing Director Christopher Naughton will cease his employment with the Company from December 1, 2009. Mr. Naughton’s position as CEO of the US listed oncology subsidiary company Marshall Edwards, Inc will terminate from December 1, 2009, and a search for a replacement is being initiated. The Company’s CFO, David Seaton, has been appointed acting CEO of the Company and he will act in that capacity until a new CEO for Marshall Edwards has been appointed. Following that, a permanent CEO will be appointed at Novogen Limited.
Novogen Limited Not To Recommend Dividend
Novogen Limited announced that the Directors of Novogen Limited do not recommend the payment of a dividend. No dividends were declared or paid during the year ended June 30, 2009.
Marshall Edwards, Inc. Licenses Anti-Cancer Compound NV-128 From Novogen Limited
Novogen Limited and Marshall Edwards, Inc. (MSHL) have concluded a Licence Agreement for MSHL to develop and comercialise the oncology compound NV-128. The terms of the licence consist of a single upfront payment to Novogen of USD1.5 million, a series of payments for reaching the milestones of US Investigational New Drug (IND) approval, entering human testing at phases II and III and receipt of a New Drug Application for marketing and a royalty on sales of 5%. MSHL will fund the ongoing clinical programs and is responsible for the commercial development of the drug.
Novogen Limited's Subsidiary Announces Researchers Discover Phenoxodiol Kills Rapidly Proliferating T-Cells
Novogen Limited's subsidiary, Marshall Edwards, Inc., announced that researchers at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington, New Zealand, have found that abnormally proliferating human T-cells, rapidly dividing cancer cells such as primary myeloid and lymphoid leukemic blast cells undergo programmed cell death when exposed briefly to the investigational anti-tumour drug phenoxodiol. These results make phenoxodiol a promising candidate for the treatment of pathologically-activated lymphocytes such as those in acute lymphoid leukaemia, or diseases driven by T-cell proliferation such as autoimmune diseases and graft-versus-host disease. The researchers demonstrated that phenoxodiol inhibited plasma membrane electron transport and cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis of rapidly proliferating human T-cells, induced to undergo rapid proliferation by exposure to cells from an incompatible donor, but at the same time it did not affect normal resting T-cells. In cancer cells, phenoxodiol appears to inhibit selectively the pro-survival regulator known as S-1-P (sphingosine-1-phosphate) that is over-expressed in cancer cells. In response to phenoxodiol, the S-1-P content in cancer cells is decreased, rendering those cells more sensitive to chemotherapy. Indeed, in laboratory studies, it has been demonstrated that cancer cells pre-treated with phenoxodiol were killed with lower doses of chemotherapy drugs.
Novogen Limited's NV-128 Targets The mTor Pathway To Block Differentiation And Induce Cell Death In Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells
Novogen Limited announced that it has not only induces cell death in Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells (OCSCs), but also blocks their differentiation into structures which are required to support tumour growth. The anti-proliferative effects were demonstrated to be achieved as a result of NV-128 inhibiting phosphorylation of the pro-survival mTOR pathway resulting in mitochondrial depolarisation and cell death. Time lapsed photographic morphometry revealed in graphic detail how NV-128 induces morphological changes in OCSCs after 24 hours, even when dos ed as low as 1μg/ml with a progressive clearing of cytoplasm and condensation of nuclear material. The effect of NV-128 on OCSC vessel formation was observed by plating OCSCs in high-density matrigel either without NV-128 (controls) or in the presence of 0.1 mg/ml NV-128 and observing for 48 hours. Whereas the control cultures showed differentiation of the stem cells into endothelial-type cells forming structurally intact blood vessels in the culture plates, cells cultured in the presence of NV-128 showed no differentiation and no structural elements were observed.
