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Biotech Tracker: Zenapax (Daclizumab) for Asthma
March 16th 2004.  At the upcoming AAAAI meeting (March 19-23, 2004, San Francisco), Baker et al will present, Preliminary Safety And Efficacy Of Daclizumab In The Treatment Of Patients With Moderate To Severe Chronic Persistent Asthma. It describes encouraging, phase II efficacy and safety results related to the use of Protein Design Labs’ (NASDAQ: PDLI) daclizumab as an intravenous treatment for inhaled corticosteroid-refractory asthma. The 12-week data support advancement of daclizumab in clinical trials. The primary endpoint (percent change in FEV1 from baseline to day 84) met statistical significance (p=0.05). PDLI anticipates initiating a phase II program to examine a subcutaneous formulation’s potential long-term treatment.

The 114-patient, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial revealed multiple daclizumab advantages:

  • mean increase in FEV1 (4.4% versus mean decrease of 1.5%, p=0.05)
  • increased time to asthma exacerbation requiring oral corticosteroid rescue (p=0.024)
  • peripheral eosinophil count reductions (p=0.04)
  • favorable FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75% responses.

Daclizumab, but not placebo, recipients improved throughout the trial in terms of diary symptom scores as well as morning and nighttime peak expiratory flow rates. The construct’s tolerability and adverse event profiles were reassuring.

Daclizumab is an anti-CD25 (IL-2 receptor alpha, Tac) antibody currently marketed as Zenapax by Roche (Swiss: ROG) for kidney transplant patients. In March 2002, PDLI halted development of daclizumab for psoriasis after disappointing phase II results. Results for ulcerative colitis have been equivocal.

 

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