YM gets discouraging preliminary pain data

Canada's YM Biosciences says the interim results for a Phase IIb trial of the pain drug AeroLEF for post-surgical patients shows it failed to achieve statistical significance. Researchers say the interim results are for the 67 patients enrolled in the trial so far. They will push ahead to enroll all 99 patients they originally planned in order to analyze a full set of data by the time the trial wraps in early '07. AeroLEF is an inhaled-delivery composition of free and liposome encapsulated fentanyl for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain, including cancer pain. A number of programs are underway to determine if alternative delivery methods can be used to enhance the efficacy of fentanyl, an active ingredient in currently marketed drugs.

- see the release on the data