BioLineRx Announces Positive Phase II Results for BL-7040, an Orally Available Treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- BL-7040 met the primary efficacy endpoint of the study -
- BL-7040 was also shown to be safe and well tolerated -
The Phase IIa trial was an open-label, proof-of-concept study to
evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of BL-7040 in patients
with moderately active ulcerative colitis. Patients were treated for up
to five weeks with BL-7040: 12 mg/day for up to three weeks, followed by
40 mg/day for two additional weeks. The clinical trial was carried out
at five leading medical centers in
Sixteen of the 22 patients who were enrolled in the clinical trial completed the full five-week course of treatment and two-week follow-up. The primary clinical endpoint in the study - a reduction in the Mayo score between baseline and completion of treatment – was achieved. Fifty percent of patients (8 patients) met the primary endpoint, while the remaining 8 patients demonstrated a stable clinical condition or minor improvement. Fifty-six percent of patients (9 patients) demonstrated decreases of at least 1 point in the rectal-bleeding sub-score and 69% (11 patients) had rectal-bleeding sub-scores of ≤1 (in 6 of the 11 patients, no rectal bleeding was seen at all).
Fifty percent of the patients completing study treatment also met certain secondary endpoints, such as a partial Mayo score reduction and mucosal healing evaluated by endoscopy sub-score measurements. Additional secondary endpoints in the study were the IBD Quality-of-Life Questionnaire, and the serum CRP and fecal calprotectin measurements. The results of these additional secondary endpoints were not conclusive, although certain positive trends were noted.
BL-7040 was highly safe and well tolerated by the study participants, with a very low incidence of drug related, mild-to-moderate adverse events (AEs), as well as one serious adverse event (SAE) not related to the treatment. Both patients and investigators were very satisfied with the safety and tolerability profile of the treatment and, in particular, emphasized the ease of oral administration.
"Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are prevalent conditions that
affect the quality of life of millions across the globe. It is estimated
that as many as 1.4 million individuals in the U.S. suffer from these
diseases. In addition to discomfort, which can be quite extreme, IBD can
cause significant complications, including anemia, intestinal abscesses,
intestinal perforation and more. Current treatments are far from
satisfactory, and many people stand to benefit from a new and effective
treatment," said Dr.
“Based on historical data, current steroidal or biological treatment regimens have yielded clinical response rates of between 30% and 70% in studies with significantly longer treatment periods; thus, the results of our five-week, proof-of-concept study suggest positive efficacy for BL-7040. A number of experts in the IBD field who have reviewed the results of our study all agree that these are very encouraging and positive results, and that the reduction in rectal bleeding is particularly impressive. Our immediate next steps include evaluating the most advantageous ways to progress with this therapeutic candidate from a clinical and business perspective, including examining potential additional indications. In parallel, we also plan to accelerate discussions with potential co-development and licensing partners for this asset," concluded Dr. Savitsky.
About Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
IBD is a chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal disease characterized by
chronic abdominal
pain, discomfort, bloating and alteration of bowel habits.
Approximately 1-in-500 people worldwide suffer from IBD. The condition
has few specific treatment options available. Sales of existing drugs
are estimated at
About BioLineRx
BioLineRx is a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical development company.
BioLineRx is dedicated to building a portfolio of products for unmet
medical needs or with advantages over currently available therapies.
BioLineRx’s current portfolio consists of six clinical stage candidates:
BL-1040, for prevention of pathological cardiac remodeling following a
myocardial infarction, which has been out-licensed to
BioLineRx’s business model is based on acquiring molecules mainly from
biotechnological incubators and academic institutions. The Company
performs feasibility assessment studies and development through
pre-clinical and clinical stages, with partial funding from the Israeli
Government’s
Various statements in this release concerning BioLineRx’s future
expectations, including specifically those related to the development
and commercialization of BL-7040, constitute “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements include words such as “may,”
“expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” and “intends,” and describe
opinions about future events. These forward-looking statements involve
known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of BioLineRx to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these risks are:
changes in relationships with collaborators; the impact of competitive
products and technological changes; risks relating to the development of
new products; and the ability to implement technological improvements.
These and other factors are more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors”
section of BioLineRx’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with
the
Source: BioLineRx
KCSA Strategic Communications
Garth Russell / Todd Fromer
1
212-896-1250 / 1 212-896-1215
grussell@kcsa.com / tfromer@kcsa.com
or
BioLineRx
Tsipi
Haitovsky
Public Relations
+972-52-598-9892
tsipih@netvision.net.il
