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Rigel to begin clinical trials of new JAK3 inhibitor compound in 2007
By Jennifer Lanning Drey
Portland, Ore., Oct. 19 - Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will begin clinical trials of R348, a novel Janus Kinase 3 (JAK3) inhibitor, in the first half of 2007, James Gower, Rigel's chief executive officer, said Thursday at the 2006 BIO Investor Forum in San Francisco.
The company announced Tuesday that it has selected R348 to enter preclinical studies to support filing an Investigational New Drug application for the compound in 2007.
Rigel will initially develop R348 as a treatment for chronic transplant rejection, Gower said, adding that the compound provides a broad platform for exploring other indications in autoimmunity.
R348 appears to inhibit JAK3-dependent lymphocyte proliferation and has demonstrated a good pharmacokinetic profile in preclinical studies, according to the company.
Gower also said Thursday that Rigel has begun its first phase 2 clinical trial of R788, its lead product candidate, for idiopathic thrombocytopenia. The company expects to report data from the trial in the first quarter of 2007 and move into expansion studies later that year.
R788 is also being studied in phase 2 clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis and that data should be available next year, Gower said.
The company believes that with the phase 2 clinical trials underway, it can build on the R788 platform and expand the compound into other autoimmunity indications, Gower said.
"From a phase 2 standpoint, this is the start of an increasing number of broadening indications on this. You'll see others later this quarter," he said.
Rigel is a clinical-stage drug development company based in South San Francisco, Calif.
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