Pharmacopeia's CXCR2 drug shows efficacy in Ph I

Pharmacopeia, a US innovator in the discovery and development of novel small-molecule therapeutics, says that a CXCR2 antagonist, developed in partnership with fellow USA-based company Schering-Plough, has shown activity in a Phase I assessment as a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

During the study, which was a double-blind assessment of 18 healthy volunteers, those who were treated with the compound experienced inhibition of ozone-induced sputum neutrophilia, which is believed to play a role in COPD. The findings were first announced at S-P's 2005 R&D and product review day and will be formally presented at the upcoming American Chemical Society meeting later this month.

The compound is one of five that Pharmacopeia is developing with S-P under an agreement established in November 1998.