[Stockholm, Sweden, April 15, 2009.]Swedish drug development company OxyPharma has completed patient enrollment in a phase II clinical trial of Rabeximod, an orally administered compound for treatment of moderate or severe active Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

"We are pleased to have achieved our enrollment goal of approximately 220 patients in this European phase II trial", said Ulf Björklund, CEO of OxyPharma. "This trial is designed to determine the clinical response rate of Rabeximod when added to a stable dose of methotrexate to patients with moderate or severe active RA. We anticipate that data from the trial will be available in the second half of 2009".
The phase II clinical trial is a randomized, four armed, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficiacy of Rabeximod administered orally once daily for 12 weeks (plus four weeks of follow-up) with a stable dose of methotrexate. The primary endpoint of the study, which is being conducted in 30 clinical sites in Europe, is ACR 20.
Principal Investigator is Prof. Lars Klareskog, Head of Rheumatology Unit at Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

About Rabeximod:

Rabeximod is a first-in-class molecule and classified as a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD). The mechanism for the effect is an interaction with the inflammatory tissue type A cells, often described as macrophages. In vitro data on human peripheral blood cells shows that Rabeximod suppresses the differentiation of monocytes into pro-inflammatory macrophages but not anti-inflammatory macrophages. The inflammatory macrophage is the central orchestrator of the inflammatory response leading to tissue destruction and clinical symptoms. Thus, the macrophages is a key cell in immune presentation of antigens and plays a role in both the initiating phase of the inflammation as well as in perpetuating the inflammatory process.

About OxyPharma:

OxyPharma is a Swedish drug development company developing new drugs primarily for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The development programs are carried out in collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and contract research organizations (CRO’s) in England, Sweden and Israel.

OxyPharma was founded in 2002 and is based in Stockholm, Sweden. The company’s largest shareholder is innovator and entrepreneur Leif Lundblad (mainly through his investment company LLD Nybohov Invest). Ulf Björklund is OxyPharma’s CEO.

For additional information please contact:

 

Ulf Björklund

CEO, OxyPharma AB              

Phone: +46 8 726 17 02 or +46 70 667 04 40            
Email: ulf.bjorklund@oxypharma.com         

 

or

Peter Karaszi

Press Officer, OxyPharma AB              

Phone: +46 70 341 46 53     
Email: peter.karaszi@oxypharma.com         

Also see our web site: www.oxypharma.com

 

OxyPharma is a member of SwedenBIO. For more information about Swedish biotech, please visit www.swedenbio.com