NEW YORK, May 22 (Reuters) - Celgene Corp. (CELG.O: Quote, Profile , Research) said on Tuesday a mid-stage trial of its experimental treatment for the skin disease psoriasis reached its main target, leading the biotechnology company to accelerate the drug's development for a range of inflammatory diseases.
The drug, known as CC-10004 or apremilast, is taken orally, giving it a potential edge over other widely used drugs that are injected or infused to treat various inflammatory diseases.
The Phase 2 trial involved 260 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis, a disease that can cause patches of skin to become scaly and itchy.
After 12 weeks of treatment, 24 percent of patients on CC-10004 twice daily achieved a certain level of improvement compared with 10 percent on a placebo.
Patients receiving CC-10004 continued to improve over time, the company said.
Celgene said it is accelerating clinical and regulatory strategies for CC-10004 in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
The company also said it was starting plans to advance CC-11050 and other compounds from this class, known as oral TNF alpha inhibitors, for chronic inflammatory diseases.
"These positive results validate the potential of our oral class of anti-inflammatory compounds," Celgene CEO Sol Barer said in a statement.
Celgene shares rose 97 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $65.97 in premarket trading from a Monday close of $65 on the Nasdaq. (Additional reporting by Varsha Tickoo in Bangalore)
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