Novartis informs Emisphere on First Interpretable Results of two-year Phase III Study 2301 in osteoarthritis

Emisphere Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:EMIS) announced today that Novartis Pharma AG ("Novartis") provided Emisphere with information regarding the First Interpretable Results of the two-year Phase III Study 2301 in osteoarthritis conducted by its license partner Nordic Bioscience with oral calcitonin (SMC021).

The recently completed study assesses the safety and efficacy of oral calcitonin in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee and had three co-primary endpoints. Novartis informed Emisphere that preliminary analysis of the data from this study shows that the endpoint for the first of three co-primary endpoints, joint space width narrowing, was not met. Novartis also informed Emisphere that results regarding the other two co-primary endpoints indicated clinical efficacy related to symptom modification (WOMAC scales: pain, function). In addition, according to Novartis, MRI analyses suggested an effect on cartilage.

Nordic Bioscience and Novartis have indicated that they are going to continue to work together to further analyze and evaluate the results of this study. The second two-year Phase III Study 2302, which also assesses safety and efficacy of oral calcitonin of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, is currently ongoing. Additionally, the Phase III clinical program of oral calcitonin in osteoporosis continues.