Giaconda was founded in 2004 as a vehicle through which to commercialise therapies for gastrointestinal diseases and disorders developed by Prof. Thomas Borody at the Centre for Digestive Diseases Pty Ltd.
Prof. Borody has assigned to Giaconda a portfolio of patent families. Many of the conditions targeted by these products are inadequately addressed by currently available therapies. In this way, Giaconda’s products are intended to satisfy significant unmet needs of the gastrointestinal market. In addition, the Company has been granted an option to acquire all other current and future intellectual property developed by the CDD or Prof. Borody in the area of digestive disease therapies, securing a valuable pipeline of future products for Giaconda. This option and first right of refusal is subject to rights and restraints.
The CDD business has been operating since 1985 and, based in Sydney, employs six specialist physicians and a number of allied health service professionals. It conducts in excess of 4,000 medical procedures per year. Under the leadership of founder Director Prof. Borody, the CDD has pioneered novel approaches in researching, diagnosing and treating gastrointestinal conditions.
The CDD houses a Department of Research and Innovation responsible for conducting clinical trials as approved by an independent Human Research Ethics Committee. This capacity to conduct human clinical trials has underpinned Prof. Borody’s ability over the past twenty years to design, develop, trial and patent a range of novel therapies to address various debilitating gastrointestinal disorders. Prior to Giaconda’s incorporation, Prof. Borody successfully negotiated six international licensing deals for commercialisation of products in his patent portfolio.
The world market for gastrointestinal products is estimated to be US$49.9 billion per annum and is dominated by patent-protected therapies marketed by a small number of pharmaceutical companies. With many of the patents relating to current therapies nearing expiry, pharmaceutical companies participating in the gastrointestinal therapy market are actively seeking to bolster their product pipelines. It is with these companies that Giaconda will seek to partner, through licensing to them Giaconda’s range of relatively newly-patented, clinically proven products.
Giaconda’s products are primarily underpinned by the scientific rationale that many gastrointestinal conditions are caused by infection.
Giaconda’s current product portfolio largely consists of patented combinations of registered drugs. Each of the products currently in Giaconda’s product portfolio has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of targeted conditions at the CDD.
Giaconda has a patent portfolio position consisting of 20 granted patents and a further 19 patents applied for in respect of its existing products. The patents and patent applications for Giaconda’s combination therapies cover the use of classes of drugs in combination, a number of dosage ranges and numerous delivery formats.
The Company currently employs four staff but draws significantly on the substantial research, clinical and regulatory resources of the CDD and external consultants.
