Inspire Pharmaceuticals has stopped two clinical trials related to retinal disease and is terminating its retinal disease program, the company said Friday.
Inspire (Nasdaq: ISPH) was pursuing development of a drug for treatment of retinal thickening and macular edema, which can lead to impairment of vision.
Inspire had launched Phase II clinical trials for the drug denufosol. The first trial, which included the evaluation of 12 patients, “did not demonstrate improvement in either reduction of retinal thickness or improvement in visual acuity,” Inspire said in a statement. The second trial had yet to enroll any patients.
“During our recent portfolio review process, we prioritized our research and development programs and decided to discontinue the retinal program so that we can apply our resources to programs with higher potential value,” said Christy Shaffer, Inspire’s chief executive officer, in a statement. “Our utilization of small pilot trials to explore potential new indications enables us to gather information quickly and make prudent development decisions efficiently, thereby minimizing the time and expense of drug development.”
Inspire: www.inspirepharm.com
