Schering-Plough trial meets primary endpoint

Schering-Plough has reported its selective adenosine2a receptor antagonist has met the primary endpoint in a phase II dose-finding trial.

The randomised, double-blind multicentre and multinational placebo-controlled research, undertaken on patients suffering from moderate to severe Parkinson’s disease, studied the efficacy and safety of preladenant.

All of the experiments saw one, two, five or 10 mg of the product in treatment, in an attempt to judge a comparison between it and placebo.

In the trial, 253 patients were treated over 12 weeks, with Schering-Plough expecting to report the results of the tests in June 2009.

Chief scientific officer of the company Ismail Kola said the group was very excited about the phase II data.

He added the experiments showed “statistically significant and clinically relevant effects on both ‘off’- and ‘on’-times in Parkinson’s patients”.

Mr Kola went on to say such motor fluctuations in sufferers can make simple daily tasks “extremely burdensome”.

In other news, Schering-Plough has announced an update on its boceprevir clinical research.

The product is the company’s lead investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor – currently in phase III development – and has been said by the company to have the potential to be a best-in-class inhibitor to fight the condition.