AQX-1125, a novel oral anti-Inflammatory compound, exhibits desirable properties for continued developmentRelease date: Thursday, November 10, 2011PDF version: 
news-20111110.pdf
Vancouver, British Columbia – November 10, 2011
Aquinox Pharmaceuticals Inc., a private, venture-backed, pharmaceutical company developing novel and targeted small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory disease, announced today that it has initiated two Phase IIa clinical studies. Both studies will measure AQX-1125’s ability to prevent inflammation and are scheduled to complete during 2012.
The two Phase IIa studies are being conducted at centres of excellence in the United Kingdom. The first study will evaluate a single dose of AQX-1125 in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in mild and moderate asthmatic patients exposed to an allergen known to induce an asthmatic attack. In the second study, AQX-1125 will be given in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled fashion at one of two doses to volunteers exposed to an environmental inflammatory stimulus. In each study, subjects will be administered drug orally once-daily for seven days with a key endpoint including AQX-1125’s ability to reduce inflammatory cells and markers in sputum – indicators of the drug’s anti-inflammatory properties. The studies will also continue to evaluate AQX-1125’s safety and residence time in the blood (pharmacokinetics).
Earlier in the year, Aquinox successfully completed a Phase I clinical study assessing the safety, tolerability, absorption, and pharmacokinetics of AQX-1125. In this study, AQX-1125 was rapidly absorbed and exhibited a dose-proportional pharmacokinetic profile over the range of doses tested with a half-life of approximately 22 hours. Furthermore, the drug’s Adverse Effects (AE) profile was generally unremarkable with mild gastrointestinal upset being the only dose-related observation.
“The results of the Phase 1 study demonstrated that AQX-1125 was well tolerated at all dose levels tested,” said Dr. David Chernoff, Chief Medical Officer of Aquinox. “The drug is rapidly absorbed after oral administration and has desirable pharmacokinetic properties making it suitable for once-daily oral dosing. Overall, the results support continued development of this novel oral anti-inflammatory drug.”
The Phase I study was conducted in three parts: The first part was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose study evaluating safety and pharmacokinetics with 16 healthy volunteers. This was followed by a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple ascending dose study further evaluating safety and pharmacokinetics following ten consecutive days of dosing with an additional 24 healthy volunteers. The final part was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, study of the effects of food on the absorption of the drug in 12 additional healthy volunteers.
About Aquinox Pharmaceuticals
Aquinox Pharmaceuticals Inc. is the world leader in the discovery and development of novel, first-in-class, small molecule therapeutics targeting SH2-containing inositol-5′-phosphatase (“SHIP1”) for the treatment of inflammatory disease. The Company’s lead clinical candidate, AQX-1125, is a highly active and selective small molecule allosteric activator of SHIP1 suitable for once-daily oral dosing. Aquinox anticipates completing its Phase IIa clinical studies in Q3 2012. The Company has a broad intellectual property portfolio and deep pipeline of preclinical drug candidates. For more information, please visit www.aqxpharma.com.
Contact
Jason Robertson
Aquinox Pharmaceuticals Inc.
604.629.9223
info@aqxpharma.com