Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the start of enrollment for a phase 2 study comparing its proprietary drug candidate ITCA 650 (DUROS continuous delivery of exenatide) with Byetta, an FDA-approved twice-daily injection form of exenatide. Building upon the successful completion of a 28-day phase 1b study of ITCA 650 in May of this year, the phase 2 study is intended to evaluate the doses achieving the best results in the phase 1b in a larger study population and for a longer duration of treatment. In addition, an extension phase of the phase 2 study will evaluate dose response of ITCA 650. Patients receiving Byetta for the first 12 weeks will be switched from Byetta to one of two doses of ITCA 650 to evaluate the potential for improving treatment effect.
"We are very pleased with the rapid progress and positive results achieved thus far in the ITCA 650 program" said Ken Luskey, MD, VP, Clinical Research for Intarcia. "In 2009, we expect to move the ITCA 650 program from IND-filing through completion of phase 2 enrollment."