(By Balaseshan) Oxygen Biotherapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:OXBT) shares jumped after the developer of medical and cosmetic products' Dermacyte Concentrate skin cream lowered histamine-induced itch (pruritus), which was shown in a clinical study data.
The company said data from its clinical study to determine the efficacy of Dermacyte in relieving histamine-induced pruritus show that Dermacyte elicited a significantly larger reduction in Visual Analogue Scale scores after a standard histamine skin prick compared to placebo.
The primary objective of this study was to assess the potential for Dermacyte Concentrate skin cream to reduce the itch (pruritus) and accompanying redness and swelling that occur in histamine-mediated allergic skin reactions.
Efficacy of Dermacyte for treating pruritus was assessed as reported by each subject using a Visual Analogue Scale, a validated instrument used to evaluate itch in clinical studies.
Itch is one of the most common skin complaints that doctors receive from patients. Although there are several causes for itch, the release of histamine is often the underlying mechanism.
This study, previously announced in January 2012, was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study which included 30 healthy male and female volunteers aged 18-65. The clinical trial was conducted at St. John's Medical College Hospital in Bangalore, India, under the direction of the clinical research organization, Max Neeman International.
This study was the first of a series of trials Oxygen Biotherapeutics plans to conduct to determine the utility of Dermacyte as a treatment for a variety of dermatological conditions, such as allergic contact dermatitis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and acne.
These pruritus study results support the company's overall dermatology program and provide the data needed to support the decision to move forward with a psoriasis study in the near future.
OXBT is trading up 8.95% at $2.07 on Thursday. The stock has been trading between $1.30 and $3.55 for the past 52 weeks.