The oral drug candidate APD334 is formulated to target the sphingosine 1-phosphate subtype 1 (S1P1) receptor believed to take part in the modulation of various biological responses.
Arena senior vice president and chief medical officer William Shanahan said the company is looking forward to advancing the novel compound APD334 by means of validated development platform.
"APD334’s selectivity for the S1P1 receptor has the potential to improve upon the adverse event profile of currently available treatments for a spectrum of autoimmune diseases," Shanahan added.
The double-blind and placebo-controlled trial is designed to assess the candidate’s safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile in single-ascending doses in around 64 healthy adult volunteers.