OTTAWA, Ontario, May 30, 2019 (Newswire.com) – ​Orion Biotechnology Canada Ltd., a developer of novel medical treatments, today announced their Chief Medical Officer, Ian McGowan MD Ph.D. FRCP, will be presenting at the ASCO meeting which is being held in Chicago (May 31st to June 3, 2019; https://meetings.asco.org/am/attend-meeting). His talk will be in the Gastrointestinal (Colorectal) cancer track and will focus on the surveillance and management of anal intraepithelial neoplasia in HIV and non-HIV infected patients. In his previous position, as a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, his laboratory undertook research to characterize the prevalence of anal human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women. In the MTN-017 study which was conducted in the US, Peru, Thailand, and South Africa. Dr. McGowan’s laboratory showed that approximately 93% of MSM had evidence of anal HPV infection which is linked to the development of anal dysplasia and anal cancer (Cranston et al. Int J STD AIDS 2019).

“Despite increased availability of highly efficacious HPV vaccines, there is a large pool of individuals who have already acquired anal HPV infection and are at risk of developing epithelial dysplasia and in some cases cancer. Unfortunately, this risk is significantly increased when there is co-infection with HIV. These patients should undergo regular surveillance to recognize and treat anal dysplasia to avoid progression to anal cancer,” said Dr. McGowan.

Orion Biotechnology has an active preclinical program focused on the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers with our lead compound, OB-002, and plans to submit an IND to support Phase 1 clinical trials in 2020.