Discovered and developed by Eisai, Eritoran is believed to block activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). TLR4 is part of the innate immune system and, when it is activated, TLR4 may play an important role in the course of severe sepsis.
Eisai said that as part of a planned interim analysis, an independent data monitoring committee (DMC) has evaluated efficacy and safety data on the first 1,500 subjects to complete the 28-day follow-up in the Phase III ACCESS trial.
After evaluating the efficacy and safety data, the DMC has recommended continued enrollment to the planned goal of 2,000 patients, according to the current protocol. In addition, the DMC did not express safety concerns that would warrant stopping the trial at this time.
Reportedly, the ACCESS trial is a global, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating Eritoran as a potential treatment for severe sepsis. The ACCESS trial targets a population with severe sepsis that has a moderate-to-high risk of mortality as determined by baseline APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) scores from 21 to 37.