February 27, 2015
By Krystle Vermes, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff
Clinical stage biotechnology company Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , announced on Feb. 26 that its partner, Boehringer Ingelheim, has placed experimental Alzheimer’s drug 1181181on hold after trial subjects experienced skin-related side effects.
The beta secretase inhibitor was being evaluated in Phase I clinical trials for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
During testing, researchers found noticeable skin reactions in study participants. This came after a multiple rising dose trial.
“Our partner is working diligently to evaluate and understand this observation,” said Richard Gregg, chief scientific officer of Vitae. “We are confident that the analysis will result in a clear understanding of how to proceed with BI 1181181, and we remain committed to our partner and the BACE program.”
BI 1181181 is the only orally active BACE inhibitor from Vitae Pharmaceuticals. Boehringer Ingelheim is assisting with its development under a research collaboration and license agreement.
“Depending on the outcome of the evaluation and Boehringer Ingelheim‘s decision, we expect that either BI 1181181 or its structurally distinct, Phase 1-ready back up will be advanced, with the goal of delivering a medicine with disease-modifying benefits to patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease,” Gregg continued.
Vitae’s portfolio consists of products that have been generated by Contour, its proprietary structure-based drug discovery platform.
An In-Depth Look at Contour
Contour is focused on structure-based drug design by building a drug-like molecule in the active site of a protein target one fragment at a time. Then it attempts to predict how tightly the molecule will bind to a protein.
Currently, a team of scientists from Vitae Pharmaceuticals is using Contour to create innovative drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune disorders, atopic dermatitis, and acute coronary syndrome.
Vitae Pharmaceuticals has the worldwide commercial rights to three of its drugs in its pipeline – VTP-43742, VTP-38543, and VTP-38443. These products address autoimmune diseases, atopic dermatitis and acute coronary syndrome, and they are each in the preclinical phase.
Boehringer Ingelheim has the worldwide commercial rights to two of the company’s pipeline products that have made it to Phase I clinical testing – VTP-34072 and VTP-37948. VTP-34072 is a HSD1 inhibitor that targets type 2 diabetes, and VTP-37948 is the BACE inhibitor that focuses on Alzheimer’s disease.
VTP-43742 is a RORyt inhibitor that is expected to begin Phase I clinical trials in the first half of 2015 as a treatment for psoriasis and multiple sclerosis.
BioSpace Temperature Poll
Analyst Mark Schoenebaum, a biotech and pharmaceuticals analyst and medical doctor for ISI Group Evercore, has been running a Best Hair in Biopharma contest for several months now. So far, the candidates are Bristol-Myers Squibb Company‘s John Elicker, Receptos’ Chief Executive Officer Faheem Hasnain, Celgene‘s Vice President of Investor Relations Patrick Flanigan and Acorda Therapeutics’ Ron Cohen.
We want to know what our BioSpace community thinks: Who do you believe actually has the Best Hair in BioPharma?
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