NPS, GlaxoSmithKline announce clinical advancement of calcilytics program

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., May 2 - NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. confirmed Tuesday that the lead calcilytic compound under development by collaborator GlaxoSmithKline has successfully completed a proof-of-concept trial and should be advanced into later-stage studies.

These compounds are the result of a 1993 collaborative research and license agreement between the companies.

Under the agreement, NPS will receive royalties on global product sales and has the right to co-promote products resulting from the collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline in North America, according to a news release.

Calcilytics work by antagonizing calcium-sensing receptors on the surface of the parathyroid gland, thereby triggering a transient release of the body's own stores of parathyroid hormone.

This release of parathyroid hormone may have the potential to rebuild some of the bone mass lost as a result of osteoporosis and improve overall bone microarchitecture in these patients.

GlaxoSmithKline is a global pharmaceutical company based in London.

NPS, located in Salt Lake City, develops small molecules and recombinant proteins as drugs, primarily for the treatment of metabolic, bone and mineral and central nervous system disorders.

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