Israel-based XTL Biopharmaceuticals has dropped the development of an experimental hepatitis C drug after a phase I trial failed to show a statistically significant difference between the compound and placebo.
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The trial evaluated the safety, tolerability and antiviral activity of single and multiple doses of the drug, XTL-2125, with 56 patients. Although XTL-2125 was generally well tolerated, the company said, HCV-RNA viral load reductions in patients treated with XTL-2125 were not significantly different from those observed in the placebo group. Based on these results, XTL has decided to suspend further development of XTL-2125.
However, the company said that its XTL-DOS program looked “promising” for hepatitis C, and was expecting to submit an IND for a novel drug from the studies in 2007. XTL also said that it would continue to pursue opportunities through in-licensing and acquisition of additional clinical-stage products.