Health & Fitness
Health and Fitness
Health and Fitness
Wed, May 18, 2011
Tue, May 17, 2011 Anacor Pharmaceuticals Announces the Initiation of a Phase 2 Trial of AN2728 and AN2898 in Mild-to-Moderate Atopic Dermatitis
PALO ALTO, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Anacor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ANAC) announced today that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2 trial of AN2728 and AN2898 to determine safety, tolerability and efficacy of the two compounds for the topical treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis.
"Pre-clinical studies suggest that they may also be effective in treating atopic dermatitis. This trial is intended to understand the potential of each compound to treat the disease, and, if effective, determine which compound to progress further in development."
The Phase 2 trial is a six-week, double-blind, randomized, bilateral trial evaluating each product candidate against its vehicle in 60 to 80 adults with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis. The primary outcome measure will be the improvement of lesions treated with 2% AN2728 ointment or 1% AN2898 ointment compared to lesions treated with the corresponding ointment vehicle. Improvement of the lesions will be based on the Atopic Dermatitis Severity Index (ADSI) score. Results from this trial are expected in the second half of 2011.
AN2728 and AN2898 are boron-based small-molecule compounds which inhibit the activity of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE-4), thereby reducing the production of a range of pro-inflammatory cytokines that are thought to be associated with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
aBoth AN2728 and AN2898 have demonstrated efficacy in human clinical trials of psoriasis,a said David Perry, Chief Executive Officer of Anacor Pharmaceuticals. aPre-clinical studies suggest that they may also be effective in treating atopic dermatitis. This trial is intended to understand the potential of each compound to treat the disease, and, if effective, determine which compound to progress further in development.a
About Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic rash characterized by inflammation and itching. In 2007, Datamonitor reported that atopic dermatitis affected approximately 40million people across the seven major pharmaceutical markets. The condition most commonly appears in childhood, with up to 20% of children in the United States affected, and it can persist into adulthood. Skin affected by atopic dermatitis can often be broken and chafed from scratching which allows bacterial or viral access, which can lead to secondary infections. Current atopic dermatitis treatments attempt to reduce inflammation and itching to maintain the protective integrity of the skin. Antibiotics, antihistamines, topical corticosteroids and topical immunomodulators, either as monotherapy or in combination, are the current standard of care for atopic dermatitis. However, these can be limited in utility due to insufficient efficacy or side effects.
About Anacor Pharmaceuticals
Anacor is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel small-molecule therapeutics derived from its boron chemistry platform. Anacor has discovered five clinical compounds, including its three lead programs currently in development: AN2690, a topical antifungal for the treatment of onychomycosis; AN2728, a topical anti-inflammatory PDE-4 inhibitor for the treatment of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis; and GSK 2251052, or GSK a052 (formerly referred to as AN3365), a systemic antibiotic for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, which has been licensed to GlaxoSmithKline under the companies' research and development agreement. In addition, Anacor is developing AN2718 as a topical antifungal product candidate for the treatment of onychomycosis and skin fungal infections, and AN2898 as a topical anti-inflammatory product candidate for the treatment of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. For more information visit [ http://www.anacor.com ].
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that relate to future events including the development and commercialization of AN2728 and AN2898, and more specifically, the enrollment and conduct of the Phase 2 trial. These forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual levels of activity, performance or achievement to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including risks related to enrollment and successful completion of our trials, risk of unforeseen side effects and risks related to regulatory approval of new drug candidates. These statements reflect the views of Anacor as of the date of this press release with respect to future events and, except as required by law, it undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this press release.
