DalCor Pharma initiates Phase III trial of dalcetrapib focusing on patients with ADCY9 gene in acute coronary syndrome.

DalCor Pharma has initiated a 5000 patient Phase III trial for dalcetrapib which it has licensed from Roche. The Montreal Heart Institute after a genetic analysis of the patients in the OUTCOMES trial of dalcetrapib identified variations in the ADCY9 gene that might, if treated, lead to a 39% reduction in risk of a range of CV conditions including acute coronary syndrome when compared to placebo.

Comment: CETP inhibition is seen as a disaster area for pharmaceuticak companies. Eli Lilly recently ceased development of evacetrapib which increased HDL and reduced LDL but failed to improve CV events in patients. Pfizer with torcetrapib and Roche with dalcetrapib had little success leaving only Merck Inc. in the field with its Phase III anacetrapib.