Synergy Pharmaceuticals Initiates Dosing of Healthy Volunteers in Phase I Trial of SP-333, a Second-Generation GC-C Agonist to Treat Ulcerative Colitis

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:SGYP), a developer of new drugs to treat gastrointestinal disorders announced today that on October 19, 2012 the company initiated oral dosing of healthy adult volunteers in a Phase I clinical trial of SP-333, a guanylate cyclase C (GC-C) agonist designed to treat ulcerative colitis (UC). SP-333 has exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity in animal studies of colitis, displaying a novel mechanism-of-action that the company believes can provide a new way to treat UC patients with mild to moderate disease.