Asian CRO bags new diabetes contract
research organisation (CRO) Gleneagles to take charge of the Phase
III clinical trial program for its new Type 2 diabetes drug,
Naturlose.
Gleneagles is a subsidiary of Asia's largest health-care provider, Parkway Hospital Singapore, whose network includes 12 hospitals in Australia, where the bulk of the Phase III trial will be conducted.
Patient recruitment is tipped to start by the end of the year.
Gleneagles has a good record for participating in US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved clinical trials, Spherix said in a statement.
"We chose Gleneagles because they have the track record, the resources and the stature needed to conduct the Phase III trial in a way that maximises both the efficiency and the scientific validity of this kind of complex process," said Spherix president and CEO Richard Levin.
Previous clinical trials of Naturlose have indicated that the drug can blunt the glucose spikes that occur after meals, and may be useful in controlling certain symptoms of type 2 diabetes, said the firm.
Diabetes now affects more than 18m people in the US alone and 170m people worldwide. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease.
