CytRx: arimoclomol shown to be safe, well tolerated in phase 2a ALS study

By Lisa Kerner

Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 26 - CytRx Corp. said in a 10-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2a trial, its lead drug candidate arimoclomol was shown to be safe and well tolerated at all three doses tested in 77 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease).

Patients received placebo or arimoclomol in one of three dose levels (25 mg, 50 mg or 100 mg) three times daily for 12 weeks with a four week follow up without treatment.

"Encouragingly, arimoclomol effectively reached the cerebral spinal fluid, which is the site of the ALS-degenerating motor neurons," senior vice president of drug development Jack Barber said in a news release.

"This ability to cross the blood-brain barrier can otherwise be a significant hurdle for potential treatments of neurodegenerative diseases including ALS."

The Los Angeles biopharmaceutical research and development company plans to begin a phase 2b clinical trial with arimoclomol for the treatment of ALS in the first half of 2007.

© 2015 Prospect News.
All content on this website is protected by copyright law in the U.S. and elsewhere. For the use of the person downloading only.
Redistribution and copying are prohibited by law without written permission in advance from Prospect News.
Redistribution or copying includes e-mailing, printing multiple copies or any other form of reproduction.