Orexigen Reports Positive Phase II Results for Obesity Treatment
Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, announced that its lead program, Contrave, a combination of two centrally-acting medications, demonstrated greater sustained weight loss in a six-month phase II clinical study than either monotherapies or a placebo.
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Metabolex Initiates Phase II/III Diabetes Drug Trial
Metabolex Inc., Hayward, Calif., began a randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active comparator-controlled, multi-center phase II/III trial of its lead product candidate, metaglidasen, a novel insulin sensitizer, in patients with type 2 diabetes.
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GlobeImmune Begins Phase II Trial for Pancreatic Cancer Compound
GlobeImmune Inc., Louisville, Colo., initiated a randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-center phase II clinical trial of GI-4000, its therapeutic vaccine to treat patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer, in combination with adjuvant gemcitabine after surgery.
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AstraZeneca and Array Begin Phase II Studies for AZD6244
AstraZeneca, London, UK, and Array BioPharma Inc., Boulder, Colo., initiated a randomized phase II study for AZD6244, a selective MEK inhibitor that was in-licensed by AstraZeneca from Array, for stage III/IV malignant melanoma.
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Sirtris Completes Dosing for Sirtuin Therapeutic Trial
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Mass., completed dosing 85 human subjects in a phase I safety and pharmacokinetic trial of SRT501, a sirtuin therapeutic designed to target SIRT1, to address metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity.
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Nabi Begins Phase IIB Study for Nicotine Addiction
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, Rockville, Md., initiated a phase IIB "proof-of-concept" study for NicVAX, its novel, innovative and proprietary investigational vaccine to treat nicotine addiction and prevent smoking relapse.
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Synta Initiates Two Phase II Trials in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., Lexington, Mass., announced that the first patients have been dosed in two separate phase IIa studies of its lead immunomodulatory compound, apilimod mesylate, in rheumatoid arthritis and common variable immunodeficiency.
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