Senetek PLC (SNTKY)

2005 FEB 4 – Senetek PLC (SNTKY), a healthcare technologies company engaged in developing products for the anti-aging market, announced positive results from its initial multi-faceted study of the effects of an adenine derivative, Zeatin, and 2 other new compounds representing new cytokinin classifications, AK801 and PRK124.

The study was conducted over a 3-week period at the Department of Dermatology, University of California at Irvine using the hairless mouse model.

This study model is designed to evaluate new compounds for safety and efficacy in the potential treatment of skin anti-aging and to investigate the mechanisms by which they affect the skin aging process. The study evaluated 3 groups of mice that received daily applications of Zeatin, AK801 and PRK124, respectively, versus a “placebo control” group that received applications of only the topical vehicle and a “therapeutic control” group that received topical tretinoin 0.05%, trade name Renova, the only prescription drug approved for anti-aging in the United States.

The “therapeutic control” group exhibited significant skin irritation and thickening of the dermis and epidermis and a significant decrease in skin conductance, a measure of moisture retention, while the groups treated with Zeatin, AK801 and PRK124 showed very low skin irritation and significant increases in skin moisture content compared to both the “placebo control” and “therapeutic control” groups. In addition, an absence of thickening of the dermis and epidermis was equivalent to the “placebo control” group over the three week treatment period indicating the skin tolerance of these new compounds.

Parallel to the UC Irvine study, RCTS, Inc., an independent commercial laboratory in Irving, Texas, completed an initial skin irritancy study of various formulations of Zeatin with a group of 70 human subjects using the Repeated Insult Patch Test (RIPT) model. The study, conducted over a 5-week period, found that none of the Zeatin formulations tested, which included concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 1%, caused any measurable irritation or showed any evidence of induced allergic contact dermatitis in human subjects.

Based upon the findings at the Department of Dermatology, University of California and RCTS, along with the previous cell culture work completed at the University of Aarhus, Senetek will be accelerating the clinical development of Zeatin and conducting further testing of AK801 and PRK124.

Senetek is a life sciences-driven product development and licensing company focused on the high growth market for dermatological and skin care products primarily addressing photo damage and age-related skin conditions. Senetek’s patented compound Kinetin is a naturally occurring cytokinin that has proven effective in improving the appearance of aging skin with virtually none of the side effects associated with acid-based active ingredients.

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