Alize Pharma initiates AZP-531 Phase I clinical trial for treatment of type 2 diabetes

The Medicine and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has granted authorization to conduct a trial in the UK on AZP-531 in healthy volunteers, obese subjects and diabetic patients

Alize Pharma, a company specialized in the development of drugs for the treatment of metabolic diseases and rare diseases, announces today the launch of the first Phase I clinical trial for AZP-531, its unacylated ghrelin analog, in type 2 diabetes.

The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the body that regulates drugs and healthcare products in the UK, has authorized this trial that will be conducted as a combined Phase Ia and Phase Ib protocol.

The clinical trial is set to last approximately 18 months. The objectives will be to assess the safety, determine the pharmacokinetic profile of AZP-531 and to provide preliminary data on AZP-531 metabolic effects, particularly on glycemia. This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will be conducted in three parts: a single ascending dose study in healthy volunteers, a 14-day multiple ascending dose study in overweight or obese subjects and a 14-day multiple ascending dose study in type 2 diabetic patients. Up to 112 patients and healthy volunteers will be enrolled in the trial.

“We are very pleased to have reached this development milestone on AZP-531. It is the first unacylated ghrelin analog to enter clinical stage, a program based on an in-depth knowledge of the biology of ghrelin and of its role in the metabolism and metabolic disorders,” said Thierry Abribat, president of Alize Pharma. “The results of this first clinical trial will help us to assess the potential of AZP-531 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. They will also allow initiation of clinical development in other metabolic indications, such as the Prader Willi syndrome and some ischemia-related cardiovascular indications.”

The launch of this clinical program follows five years of collaborative research between Alize Pharma and its academic partners at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, and the University of Turin, in Italy. This research has led to the identification of unacylated ghrelin as a new therapeutic class and to the design of AZP-531. The unique pharmacological profile of AZP-531 differentiates it from ghrelin antagonists and all existing therapeutic classes. Available preclinical and clinical data suggest that UAG and its analogs improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, reduce fat deposition and have a positive effect on vascular remodeling and on recovery following ischemia, through a mechanism involving protection against oxidative stress.

“Following Asparec(R), AZP-531 is the second program that we are entering at the clinical stage” said Thierry Abribat. “This emphasizes the expertise in translational medicine of the Alize Pharma team, its capacity to bring innovation to the clinic and thus create value for its shareholders.”