Athletes, and non-athletes, between 18 and 65 wanted for tinea study
November 17, 2007 by admin
Filed under Company News, Company News 2007
ATHLETES’ FOOT AFFECTS MORE THAN 9% OF PEOPLE
Sydney, Australia – November 17, 2007 – A novel new oral treatment for Tinea, commonly known as Athletes’ Foot, is now being tested by Australian research teams in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane as part of a global study in the condition that affects over 9% of Australians.
According to the research team from Novotech Australia, Australia has reported a high incidence of this disease and with the warmer summer months coming on it is the ideal time to explore the effectiveness of the new once a week oral treatment.
The fungal skin infection which affects people of all ages and levels of physical activity and fitness, typically presents as itchy, dry, inflamed, flakey skin. In some people this can lead to cracking, blistering and secondary infections which is of particular of concern for the elderly, and those with compromised circulation, including those with conditions such as diabetes.
The sponsor company, which specializes in dermatology products, is conducting a study involving healthy volunteers with athletes foot, focusing on the moccasin type tinea pedis. The study involves 9 visits over a course of 12 weeks.
Study participants will receive study medication and study related medical care at no cost and all information will be kept strictly confidential.
This study has been approved by Bellberry Ethics Committee.
The toll-free number for potential participants is 1800 334 274
About Athletes’ Foot:
Athlete’s foot is a skin infection caused by a fungus. There are several clinical forms of tinea pedis, the 2 most common ones are:
- Interdigital Tinea Pedis: This is the most common form of tinea, which occurs between the toes. Symptoms include redness, itch, scaling and can be quite painful. The infected areas are often moist and the skin can fall off quite easily.
- Moccasin Type Tinea Pedis: This occurs on the soles / heels of the foot. The condition is typically red, dry, itchy and very scaly.
The three fungi most commonly implicated in athlete’s foot, Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, and Epidermophyton floccosum, and tend to flare up during warm weather.
Infection with these fungi occurs more commonly in males than females. Everyone is susceptible in getting tinea if given the ideal environment for the fungus to grow. Hot and humid conditions, and prolonged use of occlusive foot wear, will increase the occurrence of all types of tinea. Infection can also spread in communal areas such as public swimming pools and showers.
Since the fungus may also cause the skin to crack, it can lead to bacterial infections, especially in older people or those with poor circulation in their feet. If the infection takes root under the toenails, it is called onychomycosis, and can be very difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate.
About Novotech
Headquartered in Sydney, Novotech is focused on the Australian and New Zealand
markets but has worldwide reach through the company’s subsidiary in the United
Kingdom and its US and Asian operations.
As the largest independent CRO in Australia, Novotech offers a level of flexibility and
local knowledge that is unmatched among other contract research organizations in the
region. Novotech’s US operations make it uniquely positioned to offer trials across the
two countries, providing the benefits of Australia’s highly regarded cost-effective clinical
trial capabilities, and at the same time take advantage of access to the much larger US
market for rapid patient enrolment – a service that has to date only been available via
large global CROs at higher overhead costs.
