Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) today announced enrollment of the first patient in a multicenter Phase II clinical trial designed to evaluate its investigational oral therapy BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate) in combination with commonly used first-line treatments in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis(RRMS). The trial, called EXPLORE, will evaluate the safety and tolerability of BG-12 when administered with beta interferons (IFNβ) or glatiramer acetate (GA) to patients who continue to have evidence of disease activity despite receiving consistent monotherapy for at least a year. Efficacy endpoints will also be assessed in a subset of patients.
“We have one of the most extensive MS pipelines in the industry, with multiple programs that target pathways thought to be critical in treating MS. This pipeline includes late-stage programs such as BG-12, PEGylated interferon beta 1a, and daclizumab, earlier-stage programs such as anti-LINGO, and several preclinical programs.”
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