Taiwan Liposome has achieved full enrollment for its 12-week Phase I/II candidate to treat arthritis, TLC599, a therapy administered akin to acupuncture through a microneedle that enables it to penetrate small joints.
The corticosteroid therapy is encapsulated in a lipid and injected using the company’s BioSeizer platform. Trial results--aimed at showing a marked difference between current steroid osteoarthritis treatments on frequency and the length of pain relief efficacy--are expected by the second half of 2016.
Taiwan Liposome said current steroid treatments are limited to a few each year to mitigate side effects, while efficacy is limited to around two weeks.
Taiwan Liposome said in an announcement that it expected a sustained release action will provide longer relief from arthritis stiffness and pain, with 29 of the 40 patients enrolled in the study already having completed a 12-week observation period. Interim efficacy results appear "favorable."
Taiwan's biotech sector was rocked earlier this year by the resignation of Wong Chi-Huey as president of Academia Sinica, which related to the timing of a share sale in OBI Pharma by his daughter.
But investors remain upbeat on the sector in Taiwan with the potential for firms like Taiwan Liposome to get products more easily into heavyweight China.
- here's the release
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