FARMINGDALE, N.Y.-(BW)-June 14, 2000-Company Says Results of Phase I Trial Showed Significant Improvement in Tested Patients
No Adverse Effects Reported
Enzo Biochem, Inc. (NYSE:ENZ) said today that it was commencing a Phase II clinical trial of its proprietary medicine, EHT899, to treat patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) based on successful and highly encouraging results of its Phase 1 trial.
Enzo said that in clinical trials in which 15 patients were given EHT899 orally, the medicine significantly alleviated the disease and related symptoms with no adverse effects noted in any patients. The Company said that its immune enhancement therapy resulted in a favorable response in 12, or 80%, of the patients. Selected patients responded with a marked decrease in liver enzymes along with a significant decrease in viral load.
"If the data holds true in the broader trial now getting underway," said Dean Engelhardt, Ph.D., a Senior Vice President of Enzo, "then we believe EHT899 will be the medicine of choice for treating chronic hepatitis B virus."
The Phase I trial was conducted under the direction of Professor Yaron Ilan, M.D., in collaboration with Enzo scientists, at the Liver Unit at Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, in Jerusalem, Israel. Dr. Ilan is also conducting the Phase II studies at Hadassah Hospital.
Enzo officials said that they had high hopes for EHT899. The Phase I trial results were well in excess of the success rate of other standard treatments.
Moreover, they believe that the cost of EHT899 would be substantially less than the two principal modalities currently employed - interferon and lamivudine, which run in the thousands of dollars. snip.....
Still a long way from an approved product, but if the cost is lower, it could make inroads quickly.
Jim |
