Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARNA) announced the initiation of dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial of APD334, a novel oral drug candidate that targets the sphingosine 1-phosphate subtype 1 (S1P1) receptor for the potential treatment of autoimmune diseases.
According to the company, this randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled Phase 1 trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of single-ascending doses of APD334 in up to 64 healthy adult volunteers.
Autoimmune diseases are characterized by an inappropriate immune response against substances and tissues that are normally present in the body. In an autoimmune reaction, a person's antibodies and immune cells target healthy tissues, triggering an inflammatory response. Reducing the immune and/or inflammatory response is an important goal in the treatment of autoimmune disease.
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