Celltech Expands Clinical Trials Program

Celltech now has five drug candidates in Phase I and II trials, according to chairman and chief executive Peter Fellner, in a statement accompanying the firm's announcement of preliminary year-end results (see page 6 for financial results).

Dr Fellner said that CDP 840, a novel drug for the treatment of asthma (developed in collaboration with Merck & Co; agreement signed in September), has now successfully completed Phase I evaluation in healthy volunteers, and Phase IIa studies in asthma patients are ongoing. The drug is a phosphodiesterase type IV inhibitor which can be taken orally.

Earlier in the year, Celltech completed a Phase IIa study of its novel human antibody CDP 571 in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis, and the encouraging results of this study were presented at this year's American Society of Rheumatology meeting (Marketletter October 31). A confirmatory Phase IIb study is scheduled to begin in 1995, said Dr Fellner. Meantime, CDP 571 has also entered Phase IIa clinical testing in the two major inflammatory bowel disorders, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These studies should be completed in 1995.