Ooops, perhaps I should have waited another day before writing a covered call...
Millennium Announces Phase I Trial of MLN0415 for Inflammatory Disorders
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Millennium
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MLNM) today announced the initiation of a Phase
I study of MLN0415, an oral, highly selective, small molecule inhibitor of
IKK2, which targets a major inflammatory pathway. The randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled study will enroll up to 72 healthy volunteers
and assess safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects.
MLN0415 has a unique mechanism of action that has the potential to address
multiple inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
"MLN0415, a new molecule discovered by Millennium scientists, selectively
targets a key pathway involved in inflammatory response, which makes it an
attractive product candidate for preventing or delaying disease progression,"
said Nancy Simonian, M.D., Senior Vice President, Clinical, Medical and
Regulatory Affairs, Millennium. "We continue to advance novel molecules into
the clinic and this study is part of a larger inflammatory development program
that includes five product candidates."
About MLN0415
MLN0415 is a novel, small molecule IKK2 inhibitor, discovered by
Millennium scientists. In preclinical studies, MLN0415 was shown to decrease
NF-kB activation and down-regulate the expression of a number of inflammatory
proteins. Because inflammatory proteins play a critical role in inflammation
and drive the inflammatory response to disease, controlling these proteins may
prevent or slow disease progression.
The Millennium-sanofi-aventis Collaboration
Millennium and sanofi-aventis have an alliance focused on developing and
commercializing small molecule drugs for the treatment of inflammatory
diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. MLN0415 is one
of several small molecules that are part of this collaboration, three of which
are in the clinic.
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