Ono halts US trials on acute stroke drug

Ono Pharmaceuticals of Japan has pulled the plug on any new US research on its acute stroke drug Proglia after a monitoring board concluded that the data from clinical studies indicated that the drug would produce no statistically significant benefit for patients. ONO-2506 had been in Phase II trials in North America and Merck had acquired the marketing rights to the injectable drug outside of Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Merck had intended to push the drug into Phase III. Ono says that it will continue ongoing Phase II/III trials in Japan, though, and discuss the drug's future with Merck.

- read this press release for more on the trials