CEQ508 is intended to be used as a treatment for reducing the levels of beta-catenin protein in the epithelial cells of the small and large intestine.
In the trial, the first three patients have received he starting dose of 1×10(8) colony forming units (cfu)/day for up to 28 days of continuous oral dosing.
The company expects to execute dosing in the cohort 2 in July 2011 with each patient in the cohort receiving a dose of 1×10(9) cfu/day for up to 28 days.
Marina Biotech president and CEO Michael French said this first dose will serve as the initial foundation for establishing a comprehensive safety profile for oral administration of CEQ508.
"We are eager to advance into our next dosing cohort and continue to be on track with our projections of completing the dose escalation phase by the end of the year," French said.
"We believe CEQ508 has the potential to be a safe and efficacious therapeutic for a patient population with no currently approved pharmaceutical alternative."