Pozen reports positive results on arthritis medicine
Published: Wed, Dec. 03, 2008 09:40AM
Modified Wed, Dec. 03, 2008 09:59AM
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closeChapel Hill drug maker Pozen announced this morning that patients taking an experimental arthritis medication developed fewer ulcers than those who used a painkiller alone.
The news moves Pozen a step closer to seeking regulatory approval for the drug. Pozen tested the product for six months on about 800 patients in a partnership with British drug maker AstraZeneca.
The partners have said they hope to apply for Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug next year.
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The medication, called PN 400, is designed for patients who require chronic non-steroidal anti-inflammation drugs to treat arthritis pain, but are at risk of developing gastric ulcers.
PN 400 combines over-the-counter pain reliever, naproxen, with AstraZeneca’s gastro-intestinal treatment Nexium. The combination promises to relieve arthritis pain with fewer stomach ulcers than rivals.
The reduced incidence of ulcers was statistically significant, according to a press release by Pozen and AstraZeneca. The study results have not been released. The purpose of this morning's announcement was to update investors about the status of the clinical study.
Pozen this year also won regulatory approval for a migraine treatment that it sells with partner GlaxoSmithKline.
john.murawski@newsobserver.com or 919-829-8932
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