MAYWOOD, NJ — Recent independent tests of Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation’s proprietary antibacterial agent NXC 4720 were successful in eliminating E. coli 0157:H7 in a laboratory model of a livestock gut, according to the New Jersey-based company.

The tests were conducted at the Department of Food and Science at the University of Manitoba.

“We are very pleased by this further independent confirmation of the efficacy of our antibacterial agent. We hope to complete the key ongoing trials of this potentially important product in the near future,” said Dr. Michael Munzar, medical director of Nymox.

E. coli 0157:H7 is recognized as a serious health problem throughout the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 73,000 illnesses and more than 60 deaths occur in the U.S. every year as a result of E. coli 0157:H7 contamination of hamburger meat and other food and drink products. Symptoms include diarrhea and abdominal cramps and can cause kidney failure, particularly in children under 5 and the elderly.

–Jeff VanPelt