CHEMEQ DEVELOPS POLYMER-BASED SUNSCREEN AND SKIN EMOLLIENT.

Pharmaceutical company Chemeq Ltd (ASX: CMQ) has announced that as part of its research program aimed at taking the company into global human, as well as veterinary pharmaceutical markets, it has developed two new products, a unique sunscreen and a unique skin emollient.

In line with this medium-term scenario, Chemeq has collaborated with Sydney-based Technical Consultancy Services Pty Ltd to formulate both a sunscreen and an after-swimming emollient. Both products contain only high molecular weight ingredients, which due to their size are inhibited from passing through the skin and into the blood stream.

Medical authorities are aware that current sunscreens, containing high percentages of organic chemicals as screening agents, may give rise to excessive chemicals being absorbed through the skin and into the blood stream.

"Developing these products has only been possible using Chemeq's exclusive polymer technology, an offshoot of our existing technology," said Dr Matthew Tilbrook, corporate research manager, Chemeq Ltd. "Whilst both these products are valuable, we are proceeding with a number of directions of research before making a decision on what to develop for commercialization in human health care markets."

The technology relating to these dermatological products has been patented in Australia, and over 20 patents are pending in other countries. Chemeq also announced that it has had another patent approved in both Australia and the USA, with also, 20 pending, to give the company additional monopolies in manufacture and marketing by a variety of technologies for formulating a range of dermatological, pharmaceutical products. Chemeq Ltd has unencumbered ownership of all these intellectual properties.

Chemeq announced in November last year, that it is collaborating with the world's leading research-investigator of Helicobacter pylori infections in humans, Professor Barry Marshall. H pylori infects more than half the human population and is responsible for chronic gastritis, most gastric and duodenal ulcers, and is a major factor in the onset of gastric adenocarcinoma, one of the most common forms of all cancers. To date, CHEMEQ (RTM) polymeric antimicrobial has been shown to kill H pylori in laboratory test tubes, and further experimentation is progressing against this pathogen.

For more information, visit http://www.chemeq.com.au.