AstraZeneca reveals AIS drug trials news

AstraZeneca has said that the latest tests of its NXY-059 drug for the treatment of patients that have suffered Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) were positive.

The company felt that trials exploring the safety and tolerability of the drug were needed, with the results reflecting that the drug was similar in regards to these two areas as placebo.

“Our evolving understanding of the safety and tolerability profile of NXY-059 in acute stroke conditions is enhanced greatly by the Chant [cerebral haemorrhagic and NXY-059 treatment] trial results,” said Dr Tomas Odergren, global product director for NXY-059 at AstraZeneca.

“The results show that NXY-059 was well tolerated in the studied patients with intracerebral haemorrhage and that the overall safety profile was similar to the profile seen in AIS patients in Saint I.”

Mortality rates for the placebo group and the NXY-059 were comparable (20 per cent), meaning the phase III trials will now be monitored closely in terms of the effect it has on AIS patients worldwide.

AstraZeneca said that the phase III Saint trials are to be conducted in 400 centres across 40 countries, including areas such as Europe, the United States and South Africa.

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