HDM-SPIRE, T cell vaccine, fails to improve on placebo in dust mite allergy immunotherapy phase IIb field study.- Circassia Pharmaceuticals

Circassia Pharmaceuticals plc announces top-line results from its investigational house dust mite allergy immunotherapy phase IIb field study. In the study, both the active treatment and placebo greatly reduced subjects� allergy symptoms and rescue medication use. As a result, the treatment did not show a significant effect compared with placebo and the study did not meet its primary endpoint. The results show the immunotherapy was well tolerated with a highly favourable safety profile.

Steve Harris, Circassia�s Chief Executive, said: �We are naturally disappointed by this outcome, which is in line with our cat allergy phase III study where there was also a very marked placebo effect. Although subjects receiving the immunotherapies in both these studies had greatly improved allergy symptoms, the strong placebo effect made it highly challenging to achieve the studies� endpoints.

Comment: Following the receipt of disappointing cat allergy phase III results in June last year, Circassia halted significant new investment in its allergy portfolio while awaiting the outcome of its house dust mite field study. Following these new results, Circassia will make no further investment in its allergy programmes.