Icagen, Inc. Reports Top Line Results of Phase IIa Study of Senicapoc in Allergic Asthma

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 1, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Icagen, Inc. (Nasdaq:ICGN) reported today top line results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof-of-mechanism Phase IIa study of senicapoc in allergic asthma. Senicapoc reduced the late asthmatic response (LAR) to a challenge of inhaled allergen, the primary endpoint of the study, as determined by the decline in FEV1, the volume of air that can be forcibly exhaled in one second. The improvement in the average decline in FEV1 was 29% (p=0.06), in the maximum decline 18% (p=0.15), and in the area under the curve 28% (p=0.08) of FEV1. Compared to their respective baselines, patients receiving senicapoc demonstrated an improvement in all measures of the LAR, while those receiving only placebo treatments had no improvements in any measure of the LAR. The magnitude of the observed responses matched that anticipated in the study design, but the greater than expected inter and intra-patient variability resulted in a reduction of the power of the study.