The trial is designed to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CCX354 in healthy volunteers in single ascending dose and multiple ascending dose cohorts. Preclinical studies showed that the development candidate is a potent and selective antagonist of the CCR1 receptor without binding to other receptors, which might minimize off-target effects. The high potency and selectivity of the molecule is designed to provide a wider therapeutic window allowing continuous receptor coverage throughout the dosing regimen thought to be critical for efficacy.
With the dosing of the first patient in this trial, ChemoCentryx will be entitled to receive a $10 million milestone payment from alliance partner GlaxoSmithKline.
Thomas Schall, president and CEO of ChemoCentryx, said: “CCX354 is the third product candidate to enter the clinic from our discovery platform and marks another important milestone for the company.”