NOVATO, Calif., Dec. 19, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp. ("Raptor" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:RPTP), today announced the signing of a cooperative research and development agreement ("CRADA") with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases ("NIDDK") part of the National Institutes of Health ("NIH") to conduct a Phase 2b clinical trial. The clinical trial will evaluate the safety and potential efficacy of RP104, Raptor's proprietary delayed-release tablet formulation of cysteamine bitartrate, as a potential treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis ("NASH"), an advanced form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ("NAFLD"), in children. The clinical trial is expected to begin in the first calendar quarter of 2012 with NIDDK and Raptor sharing the costs to conduct the clinical trial.
