AUSTRALIAN researchers are to trial on patients a potential wonder drug that could ultimately save millions of lives.

The drug, called FT-11, could be used to treat the spread of fibrosis - the irreversible scarring of vital organs - which makes heart, liver and kidney diseases fatal.

Trials so far on laboratory rats have proved very successful.

Professor Darren Kelly, research project leader from Melbourne's St Vincent's Hospital, says his team has just received a grant from the US government to accelerate the development program.

"We are hoping to get into patients within the next 12 months or so," he told ABC Radio today.

Professor Kelly said about 45 per cent of diseases in the developed world could be associated with some sort of pathological fibrosis.

He said it was to be hoped the drug could end or delay the need for kidney dialysis.

Researchers initially were considering the drug as a treatment for diuretic kidney disease but it had implications in the treatment of heart failure, liver fibrosis, lung fibrosis and other complications.

"We know at the moment in rat studies that our compound inhibited the development of fibrosis and the interesting thing in the future would be to see whether we can actually reverse fibrosis," Professor Kelly said.

"Currently we have some quite strong data showing that our compounds prevent fibrosis occurring.

"We have looked at it in a series of animal models that are very predictive of clinical outcomes. Hence the reason we are quite confident that our data is robust."

The drug could be used on patients who suffered heart attacks.

"A lot of the remodelling or the fibrosis that occurs in patients with heart attacks causes the heart to fail over the short term," Professor Kelly said.

It could also be used to treat liver cirrhosis, fibrosis and some lung conditions.

"If it was the first of its kind on the market, it would be a huge step forward because there are currently no anti-fibrotics on the market," he said.

"It would be up there with some of the blockbuster drugs like the blood pressure lowering compounds. It would be a huge advance in medical knowledge."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24198554-23289,00.html 

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