SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Metabasis Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MBRX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs for the treatment of metabolic and liver diseases by targeting the liver and liver pathways, announced today that it has been informed by its strategic collaborator, Daiichi Sankyo, of its initial review of results from a three-month Phase 2b clinical trial of CS-917 in patients with type 2 diabetes. Metabasis also reported on the status of pradefovir. With respect to CS-917, Daiichi Sankyo advised the Company that the results from the recently completed Phase 2b trial showed that the product candidate failed to significantly lower the placebo-adjusted level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), a measure of glucose load, at either of the two doses tested. The study involved 392 patients, divided amongst four treatment arms. Two groups received CS-917 at 50 mg BID and 100 mg BID respectively, the third group received metformin at 850 mg BID and the fourth group received a placebo. The mean HbA1c level at the start of the study was approximately 7.6-7.7%. The placebo adjusted HbA1c level at the end of three months’ treatment was unchanged at the low dose and there was a 0.17% decrease (p=0.1256) in the group treated with the high dose of CS-917. Metformin treatment resulted in a placebo-adjusted decrease of HbA1c of 0.50% (p < 0.0001). CS-917 appeared to be safe and well tolerated in this patient population. Daiichi Sankyo and Metabasis are continuing to evaluate the results.
