ANN ARBOR — The Ann Arbor pharmaceutical developer Esperion Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: ESPR) Tuesday announced positive results from a Phase 2 study evaluating the safety and effectiveness of its lead candidate for cholesterol reduction, ETC-1002.
The company says the six-week study of 142 test subjects met its primary goal of reducing low-density lipoprotein, the so-called bad cholesterol, by 21 percent from the starting point, and a 24 percent reduction compared to patients treated with a placebo, which the company called “statistically significant and clinically meaningful.”
The company said the reduction occurred within the first two weeks of initiating therapy and continued throughout the treatment period.
The test also showed a 25 percent from baseline and 44 percent vs. placebo reduction in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), an important marker of inflammation in coronary disease.
The company also said ETC-1002 produced a neutral effect on blood pressure, appeared to be safe and well-tolerated and produced no muscle-related adverse events.
“This exploratory study is another important milestone in the development of ETC-1002, demonstrating its ability to safely lower LDL-cholesterol in a group of patients with both hypercholesterolemia and hypertension,” said Tim M. Mayleben, Esperion president and CEO. “We are pleased with these results, and with the whole of our phase two program, which continues to demonstrate the potential for ETC-1002 to provide an effective once-daily, oral treatment option for a broad range of patients with hypercholesterolemia.”
The test was designed to measure ETC-1002’s ability to reduce cholesterol in patients with high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The company said ETC-1002 has demonstrated consistent LDL-cholesterol reduction throughout its Phase 2 development program:
More at www.esperion.com.