Jul 13, 2009
Clinical Trial of Oral CDP323 in Relapsing MS Discontinued
A clinical trial of CDP323, an oral compound with a similar mechanism of action as the infused therapy Tysabri® (natalizumab, Biogen Idec and Elan) was discontinued when an interim analysis of results showed that participants did not benefit as expected compared with placebo. The drug was being tested in 279 people with relapsing forms of MS recruited worldwide. The study’s halt was reported in a press release from study sponsors UCB and Biogen Idec.
Multiple sclerosis occurs when the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord. CDP323 is an orally taken “alpha-4 integrin antagonist” that was designed to hamper movement of potentially damaging immune cells from the bloodstream, across the “blood-brain barrier” into the brain and spinal cord. Because this drug has a mechanism of action that is similar to Tysabri’s, the release added that no cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML, a viral infection of the brain that usually leads to death or severe disability) occurred during the study.
Tysabri is a registered trademark of Biogen Idec and Elan.