Dallas, Texas 12/12/2014 (FINANCIALSTRENDS) – Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:IDRA) recently presented clinical safety results for its IMO-8400 therapy from Phase I/II clinical trials. The company also highlighted potential of combination therapy involving IMO-8400 and rituximab in B-cell lymphoma models from a preclinical study.
The data were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology. The drug demonstrated significant potential for continued development as a novel therapy to treat genetically defined forms of B-cell lymphoma.
Dr. Lou Brenner, SVP and Chief Medical Officer, said that transformation in the field of oncology is underway with recent advances in genomics ad new therapies targeting specific biological processes. The discovery of the MYD88 L265P oncogenic mutation and understanding of its role in patients with B-cell malignancies has motivated us to advance a targeted Toll-like receptor antagonist.
Results from Clinical Trials
Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:IDRA) mentioned that the results from clinical trials showed that that IMO-8400 was well tolerated in patients with psoriasis as well as in healthy volunteers. The drug was administered via subcutaneous injection once a week at doses up to 0.6 mg/kg. The treatment was continued for up to 12 weeks.
In addition, IMO-8400 did not show any treatment-related serious adverse events or drug-related discontinuations in these trials. No pattern of laboratory changes or systemic adverse events was evident during the trials. However, injection site reactions were observed in certain patients, comprised of mild erythema with tenderness, pain, occasional induration or pruritus.
The company is currently conduction IMO-8400 Phase I/II dose escalation trial to assess the optimized dosing, safety profile and clinical activity of the candidate in patients with relapsed or refractory Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia.
Highlights of Preclinical Study
Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:IDRA) studied the tumor histology for a combination therapy involving IMO-8400 and rituximab in preclinical diffuse large B-cell lymphoma model and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia model. The combination therapy demonstrated marked improvements in tumor histology compared to monotherapy with either agent.