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Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center Initiates Phase 2A Trial in Cancer Cachexia with Aeterna Zentaris' Ghrelin Agonist, AEZS-130
Trial conducted through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement QUÉBEC...
About this update from Cosciens Biopharma Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\nTrial conducted through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement\n \n\n\nQUÉBEC CITY, March 8, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (NASDAQ:\n AEZS) (TSX: AEZ) (the \"Company\") today announced that the Michael E.\n DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Houston, Texas, has\n initiated a Phase 2A trial assessing the safety and efficacy of\n repeated doses of the Company's ghrelin agonist, AEZS-130\n (macimorelin), in patients with cancer cachexia. The study is conducted\n under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between\n Aeterna Zentaris and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical\n Center which is funding the study. Cachexia, characterized by\n diminished appetite and food intake in cancer patients, is defined as\n an involuntary weight loss of at least 5% of the pre-illness body\n weight over the previous 6 months. Jose M. Garcia, MD, PhD, Assistant\n Professor, Division of Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism,\n Departments of Medicine, Molecular and Cell Biology, the Dan L. Duncan\n Cancer Center and the Huffington Center on Aging at Baylor College of\n Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, will\n act as the Principal Investigator of this trial.\n\n\nJuergen Engel, PhD, President and CEO of Aeterna Zentaris stated,\n \"Reaching agreement on this CRADA with the Michael E. DeBakey VA\n Medical Center was an important step which paved the way for the\n initiation of this trial. Furthermore, the study with AEZS-130 in\n cancer cachexia opens another important pathway for the development of\n this drug in the clinic.\"\n\n\nJose M. Garcia, MD, PhD, added, \"I am pleased that we reached agreement\n on the conduct of this research cooperatively and that we can now\n initiate this study. The results generated by the proposed experiments\n will set the basis for future trials in this and other wasting\n conditions that also are very prevalent including chronic obstructive\n pulmonary disease (COPD), renal failure or chronic heart failure\n (CHF)-induced cachexia.\"\n\n\nThe Study\n\n\nThis is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2A trial to\n test the effects of different doses of the ghrelin agonist, AEZS-130,\n in 18 to 26 patients with cancer-cachexia. AEZS-130 will be provided by\n Aeterna Zentaris. Th...