Celtaxsys, a clinical stage drug development firm and ATDC Graduate Company, said it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to begin a Phase 2 clinical trial of its flagship drug candidate, acebilustat (CTX-4430).
The drug is targeted to cystic fibrosis patients in the United States. Cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening disease, affects the lung and digestive system and causes the body to accumulate excessive levels of unusually thick mucus in the lungs.
The clinical trial is slated to begin in October of of 2015. It will be conducted in collaboration with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, and will be partly funded through a $5 million research grant the organization awarded Celtaxsys earlier this year.
“We believe this day marks another watershed moment in the development of new therapeutics for cystic fibrosis patients,” Greg Duncan, Celtaxsys’ chief executive, said in a statement. “Lung inflammation continues to be a primary cause of CF patient morbidity and mortality.”
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