Actelion publishes new clazosentan data

Actelion, the Swiss biopharmaceutical company, has released new details about the Conscious-1 study, designed to assess the potential of clazosentan in preventing cerebral vasospasm due to aneurismal subarachnoid haemorrhaging (aSAH).

Additionally, researchers aimed to define appropriate dosage for the drug, while documenting its safety profile and the relationship between cerebral vasospasm and morbidity or mortality.

The Conscious-1 study results demonstrated that all three doses of the drug achieved statistical significance compared with the placebo, with the 15mg/hour dose demonstrating the most significant effect, showing a risk reduction of 65 per cent compared to the placebo.

Dr R Loch Macdonald, professor of surgery and radiation & cellular oncology at University of Chicago Hospitals, who presented the results, commented: “Blinded centralised reading and using consistent assessment guidelines … showed that there is indeed a relationship between preventing cerebral vasospasm and reduction in morbidity/mortality in this patient population at high risk of life-long disability.”

Dr Macdonald concluded that further clinical studies were “warranted” to further assess the potential clinical benefits of clazosentan.

In July, Actelion revealed that its drugs, which includes Tracleer, were selling above company expectations.