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An innovative project that aims to deliver a new treatment for a common kidney disease was one of only two WA recipients of Federal funding announced on Friday by Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Minister, Senator Kim Carr.

Dimerix Bioscience was awarded funding of $450,000 from Commercialisation Australia for the project, ‘Diabetic Nephropathy Treatment Halting Kidney Failure'.  Dimerix was spun out from the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, an affiliate of The University of Western Australia, to commercialise technology developed by Associate Professor Kevin Pfleger and colleagues.

Associate Professor Pfleger helped invent a novel technology to identify and study ‘G protein-coupled receptors', a family of ‘receptors' that enable cells to respond to hormones and neurotransmitters.  They are extremely important in treating disease and are the target of about 50 per cent of all therapeutic drugs.

Through the use of this technology, Dimerix is developing a new therapy to stop progression of diabetic nephropathy, which is the leading cause of kidney failure in Western societies.

Head of WAIMR's Laboratory for Molecular Endocrinology, Associate Professor Pfleger is also chief scientific officer of Dimerix.  He was named last year's Young Scientist of the Year in the Western Australian Science Awards.

Dimerix aims to use the grant to finalise the proof of concept for its treatment for kidney disease, which will support ultimate plans to license the product's intellectual property to a worldwide pharmaceutical company for advanced clinical development.

"Dimerix was awarded a UWA Pathfinder fund to help fund equipment and proof of concept work before it was spun out some six years ago", said Dr Andy Sierakowski, Director Office of Industry and Innovation at UWA.

Dimerix Bioscience is a finalist in the 2010 WA Innovator of the Year Awards - the winner will be announced on November 4.

Media references

Associate Professor Kevin Pfleger (WAIMR)  (+61 8)  9346 1980
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716