Tularik Begins Phase 1 Clinical Trial of T131, a Novel Insulin-sensitizer for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
Monday January 27, 9:20 am ET
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 2003-- Tularik Inc. (Nasdaq:TLRK - News) has begun Phase 1 clinical testing to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of T131, a drug candidate to treat type 2 diabetes. T131 activates PPARgamma (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma), a target involved in the body's ability to respond to insulin. The randomized, double-blinded, dose-escalation trial is being conducted in healthy adult volunteers in the United Kingdom.
Current drugs that activate PPARgamma, including Actos® and Avandia®, had combined sales in 2001 of $1.5 billion. T131 has a novel chemical structure and interacts with PPARgamma differently from currently approved drugs. Animal studies comparing T131 to Avandia demonstrates that T131 has superior potency, equal efficacy and an excellent safety profile. T131 does not cause cardiac hypertrophy or a decrease in hematocrit, and causes much less weight gain than Avandia in animal models.
"Type 2 diabetics are prone to both obesity and cardiac disease, so we believe that T131 may provide a significant benefit to those patients," said Pieter Timmermans, Ph.D., Vice President, Pharmacology and Preclinical Development. "Our scientists have made huge advances in the understanding of how PPARgamma affects human biology. I am proud that we have been able to translate this knowledge into the discovery of this exciting drug candidate."
According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 17 million Americans have diabetes. Diabetes develops when the body can not effectively control the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. When diet and exercise are not effective in controlling blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, oral medication(s), insulin injections or a combination are needed. According to Deutsche Bank estimates, the market for oral anti-diabetic drugs is expected to grow from over $5 billion in 2001 to $11.5 billion in 2005.
Tularik Inc. to Present at the US Bancorp Piper Jaffray Health Care Conference
Andrew Perlman, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President, will present at the US Bancorp Piper Jaffray Health Care Conference on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. EST at The Pierre Hotel in New York City.
The presentation will be webcast and may be accessed at the Company's website, www.tularik.com, under the Investors/Media tab. In addition, an archived version of the webcast will be available on the Company's website for five days.
About Tularik
Tularik is engaged in the discovery and development of a broad range of novel and superior orally available medicines that act through the regulation of gene expression. Tularik's scientific platform is focused on three therapeutic areas: cancer, immunology and metabolic disease. The Company currently has four drugs in clinical trials. T67 is moving into a pivotal Phase 2/3 study for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and T607 is in four Phase 2 trials for the treatment of HCC, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, ovarian cancer and gastric/esophageal cancer. T487, for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, and T131, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, are in Phase 1 trials to evaluate safety. For more information, visit Tularik's Internet website at www.tularik.com.
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