ICOS Initiates Ph II With MS Drug

- ICOS has started a Phase II trial of its candidate multiple sclerosistreatment Hu23F2G. The trial will enroll around 200 patients undergoing acute exacerbations, and the primary endpoint will be neurological improvement assessed by serial measurements of neurological function in a three-month period after treatment. Hu23F2G is an antibody targeting leukointegrin, a cell adhesion receptor found on the surface of leukocytes with a role in the trafficking of the cells from the circulation into the extravascular spaces. In effect, the antibody prevents the cells from attaching to endothelium. It is also in Phase II trials for trauma-induced hemorrhagic shock and myocardial infarction.