Verona Pharma Plc (LON:VRP), the drugs developer working on a treatment for breathing diseases including hay fever and asthma, today said it was making progress in discussions with potential licensees for its lead drug, RPL554. Ahead of a widely-anticipated tie-up with a larger pharma group, Verona said it was set to carry out further trials of RPL554 in order to add value to the final licensing package. Elsewhere, the company said it had filed the necessary regulatory documents for a proposed clinical trial of its VRP700 in cough patients to the ethics committee at the University of Florence. Approval to proceed with the test work is expected within the next few months and the trial could be completed by the end of the year.
Verona said its efforts to add value to the RPL554 licence package meant it was planning to carry out three further trials to determine the duration of action with respect to bronchidilation, the extent of anti-inflammatory action of RPL554 at higher doses and the bronchodilator effects and safety of the drug in patients with established chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The company noted that with Big Pharma companies putting increased emphasis on the COPD market, and with no truly effective treatment, it sees significant potential for RPL554 in this area.
Elsewhere, Verona’s proposed clinical trial of VRP700 in cough patients has been specifically designed to demonstrate the anti-tussive (suppressive) effects of VRP700. It is anticipated that the ethics committee at the University of Florence will make a decision on the proposed trial within the next few months and it is hoped that the trial will be completed by the end of the year. However, this is dependent on patient recruitment numbers and the effectiveness of the anti-cough actions of VRP700.
Professor Michael Walker, Verona’s chief executive, said: “These additional trials for RPL554 strengthen our negotiating position as licensing discussions continue. We have considered what potential licensees are looking for from RPL554 in terms of further trials and we are continuing to add value to our licensing package. The Cough project has been progressing a little slower than we had hoped due to administrative delays; however we have now submitted the appropriate documentation to the ethical committee and we are hopeful that it will be approved and the trial will begin in the next few months. We feel…
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