Duramycin For Cystic Fibrosis

US firm MoliChem Medicines of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has beengranted Investigational New Drug approval by the Food and Drug Administration to begin trials of duramycin as a treatment for cystic fibrosis. The drug has been shown to induce chloride and water transport in airway cells, and may help ameliorate the underlying disorder in CF. MoliChem founder and president Luis Molina said that a three-month Phase I study will begin in the fall at Johns Hopkins University, looking firstly at intranasal administration of the drug. The drug may also be developed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.