Aegerion Pharmaceuticals announced that preliminary data indicates positive results for three separate phase II trials involving the company's lead cholesterol candidate, AEGR-733--a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) inhibitor. The trials, which included more than 460 patients, were designed to test the efficacy, safety and tolerability of low doses of the compound alone and in combination with other lipid lowering agents such as Lipitor and Zetia. At the high end of the dose range, AEGR-733 reduced cholesterol in patients up to 35 percent when used alone, and up to 66 percent when taken with Lipitor. Patients also experienced up to a 50 percent reduction in triglycerides and up to a 3 percent reduction in weight.
The company also release preliminary results from an ongoing open-label phase III study of AEGR-733. In this trial, patients suffering from a rare genetic disorder characterized by high cholesterol levels, receive higher doses of the compound. According to Aegerion, data collected so far reveal LDL-C reductions of more than 50 percent in the majority of patients that have reached high dosages.
"We are encouraged by the promising results of these Phase II and Phase III trials, and we look forward to maximizing the potential of this therapy across the spectrum of patient need. We will be exploring several options in the immediate future to enable development of what the Company believes to be a promising new therapeutic option with the ability to safely lower LDL-C and triglycerides and contribute to weight loss," said Will Lewis, Co-Founder and CFO of Aegerion.
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