6-K: Report of foreign issuer [Rules 13a-16 and 15d-16]
Published on
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
______________________________________________
Form
6-K
REPORT
OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER
THE
SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the
month of August, 2006
Commission
File Number ________________
Novogen
Limited
(Translation
of registrant’s name into English)
140
Wicks
Road, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
(Address
of principal executive office)
___________________________________
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form
20-F
x Form
40-F
o
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(l):
Note:
Regulation S-T Rule 101 (b)( I) only permits the submission in paper of a Form
6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security
holders.
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule lO1(b)(7):
Note:
Regulation S-T Rule l01(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form
6-K
if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign
private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction
in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the
registrant’s “home country”), or under the rules of the home country exchange on
which the registrant’s securities are traded, as long as the report or other
document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been
distributed to the registrant’s security holders, and, if discussing a material
event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission
filing on EDGAR.
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained
in
this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule l2g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes o No
o
If
“Yes”
is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Novogen
Limited
(Registrant)
/s/
Ron Erratt
Ronald
Lea Erratt
Company
Secretary
Date
7 August, 2006
ASX
& MEDIA RELEASE
7
AUGUST, 2006
INVESTIGATIONAL
DRUG TARGETING INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE
ENTERS
SECOND HUMAN CLINICAL TRIAL
(Sydney,
Australia and Washington DC.) Novogen Limited’s investigational
anti-inflammatory compound NV-52, is entering its second human clinical study
following the successful completion of toxicology testing.
NV-52
is
a novel compound developed by Novogen to target inflammatory bowel
disease.
This
study was cleared to begin following the successful completion of a Phase
Ia
study that confirmed the bio-availability of the drug in oral form, and its
safety when administered at an acute dose.
The
clinical trial will be conducted at the Pacific Private Hospital in Brisbane,
Queensland under the direction of clinical pharmacologist, Professor Laurie
Howes, Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Griffith University
and a
Professor of Medicine at Bond University.
In
this
study 12 volunteers will be administered NV-52 in a repeat dose over seven
days.
This
study seeks to extend the safety data by looking at the use of the drug on
a
long-term basis, as well as testing the ability of the drug to change certain
inflammatory markers in the serum. Researchers hope this will provide a platform
to subsequently take the drug into patients with inflammatory bowel
disease.
Formal
toxicology testing has indicated that NV-52 is a completely non-toxic compound,
causing no adverse effects in animals. NV-52 has also been demonstrated to
have
no genotoxic or mutagenic effects.
Professor
Howes said the lack of toxicity of the drug would enable it to be used over
extended periods of treatment which would make it highly suitable for
maintaining remission in inflammatory bowel disease.
“If
the
efficacy in humans is similar to that already observed in mice, this new
drug
will have the potential to offer new therapeutic opportunities in this difficult
disease indication,” Professor Howes said.
NV-52
is
a novel compound designed by Novogen from its isoflavonoid technology platform.
While displaying a broad range of anti-inflammatory effects, it is being
developed clinically to treat inflammatory bowel disease.
Inflammatory
bowel disease, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, affects
approximately 1 in 1000 individuals, causing pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding,
weight loss and fatigue and may progress to bowel perforation. It is believed
that such conditions may predispose affected individuals to colon
cancer.
The
cause
of these diseases is poorly understood and no current management strategy
is
totally effective. Current treatments do not provide a cure, and all produce
significant unwanted side effects. The disease usually recurs, with relapse
rates of up to 80 percent within the first year post-remission.
On
this
basis, the most effective management strategy is to devise improved maintenance
therapy, treatment regimens which prolong the periods of remission without
unwanted side effects.
Previous
animal studies indicated NV-52 appears to be ideally suited as a maintenance
therapy to prevent relapse of disease.
The
Company expects that completion of this current study in human volunteers
will
enable the commencement of the Phase II development program in which patients
with inflammatory bowel diseases will be treated with the drug to determine
its
utility in prolonging disease remission.
About
Novogen
Novogen
is an Australian based biotechnology company in the business of research
and
development of drugs derived from its phenolic technology platform. The Company
manages its research and development programs utilising the expertise and
clinical research capabilities of universities and hospitals in Australia,
USA
and Europe. Novogen’s drug program is researching and developing compounds for
the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease and anti infmamatory disease.
To
date Novogen has had 51 patents granted and a further 240 patents are pending.
Novogen’s
consumer business has conducted the largest and most comprehensive isoflavone
clinical testing program in the world. Novogen’s consumer brands Promensil, and
Trinovin are clinically supported, natural products for women and men’s health.
Patents supporting Novogen’s consumer brands have been granted in USA, Europe,
Canada and Australia.
Further
information on the Novogen Group can be found at www.novogen.com.
This
news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of
an
offer to buy any securities. The common stock and warrants sold in the offering
have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold
in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from
registration requirements under the Securities Act or applicable state
securities laws.
Under
U.S. law, a new drug cannot be marketed until it has been investigated in
clinical trials and approved by the FDA as being safe and effective for the
intended use. Statements included in this press release that are not historical
in nature are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe
harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You
should be aware that our actual results could differ materially from those
contained in the forward-looking statements, which are based on management’s
current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties,
including, but not limited to, our failure to successfully commercialize
our
product candidates; costs and delays in the development and/or FDA approval,
or
the failure to obtain such approval, of our product candidates; uncertainties
in
clinical trial results; our inability to maintain or enter into, and the
risks
resulting from our dependence upon, collaboration or contractual arrangements
necessary for the development, manufacture, commercialization, marketing,
sales
and distribution of any products; competitive factors; our inability to protect
our patents or proprietary rights and obtain necessary rights to third party
patents and intellectual property to operate our business; our inability
to
operate our business without infringing the patents and proprietary rights
of
others; general economic conditions; the failure of any products to gain
market
acceptance; our inability to obtain any additional required financing;
technological changes; government regulation; changes in industry practice;
and
one-time events. We do not intend to update any of these factors or to publicly
announce the results of any revisions to these forward-looking
statements.