NEW YORK (AP) – Forest Laboratories Inc. and Almirall SA said that their chronic lung disease drug aclidinium met its main goal in its third late stage clinical trial.
The companies said aclidinium was more effective than placebo at treating the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The drug’s effectiveness was evaluated by measuring the amount of air patients could exhale. Patients in the U.S. were evaluated after 12 weeks, and patients in Europe were evaluated after 24 weeks.
The companies enrolled a total of 828 patients in the trial. They were treated with either 200 or 400 milligrams or aclidinium, or the placebo. Forest and Almirall said aclidinium was also more effective at reducing breathlessness and improving the patients’ health status.
Forest and Almirall reported results from a successful late-stage trial in October. They also said the drug met its goal in two mid-stage studies that tested aclidinium by itself and in combination with formoterol, an older asthma and lung disease treatment. The companies plan to file for marketing approval of aclidinium in the U.S. and Europe in mid-2011.
Date: January 4, 2010
Source: Associated Press
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
