SPMS news : Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Study 70% Enrolled, More Participants Needed, Says Opexa Therapeutics

BioNews Texas has covered Woodlands-based Opexa Therapeutics, Inc.‘s development efforts for its multiple sclerosis treatmentTcelna®, the company’s promising patient-specific T-cell immunotherapy for the disease, since the launch of its clinical trials to test its effectiveness and viability. Yesterday, the company announced that it had enrolled its 126th patient in their current Phase IIb “Abili-T” clinical study for Tcelna (also known as imilecleucel-T) in patients with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS).

The study, which is currently underway in both the United States and Canada in regionally placed clinical trial sites, is now 70% full. However, Neil K. Warma, Opexa’s President and Chief Executive Officer, has indicated that while having the Tcelna study 70% enrolled is encouraging, the company is clearly stepping up efforts to get the trail 100% enrolled: “We are continuing our efforts to have the trial fully enrolled in early 2014,” he noted, adding, “Furthermore, we are working with a few additional key multiple sclerosis centers and hope to have two more trial sites up and running shortly to support enrollment. This would increase the total number of clinical trial sites to 35 in the U.S. and Canada.”

Mr. Warma acknowledged that, for those who are suffering with Secondary Progressive MS, there are few treatment options available. As a result, participating in the Abili-T trial gives SPMS patients access to Tcelna’s potentially cutting-edge treatment.

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