Connective Begins Trials With MS Vaccine

Connective Therapeutics has commenced a Phase I/II clinical trial withits T cell receptor peptide vaccine for multiple sclerosis.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial will investigate the safety and the immunogenicity of the vaccine, which has been developed to produce a heightened immune response against the pathogenic T cells thought to be at the root of the disease. It will involve around 100 patients with progressive MS.

Data from an earlier pilot Phase I/II study demonstrated that all six TCR vaccine responders were clinically improved or stable, compared to only seven of 17 non-responders and no responders in the placebo group (Marketletter October 14, 1996).