"The Part A of the PROLONG trial was the first time that OBE022 was administered to pregnant women with preterm labor, which is an extremely important step in the development of OBE022 to treat preterm labor” said Ernest Loumaye, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of
PROLONG is a proof-of-concept Phase 2a trial conducted in two parts: Part A and Part B.
Part A was an open-label trial of OBE022 administered orally, with a loading dose of 1000 mg, then 500 mg twice a day for 7 days to pregnant women with threatened preterm labor. The nine women in Part A were between 28 and 34 weeks of gestation and were receiving a standard-of-care therapy for threatened preterm labor, atosiban infusion for 48 hours. OBE022 pharmacokinetics and maternal, fetal and infant safety were assessed. Fetal cardiac safety was monitored using Doppler ultrasound. Time to delivery was also measured. Eight of the nine patients did not deliver within the 7 days of OBE022 treatment and one patient delivered the day after starting OBE022. OBE022 was well absorbed from Day 1 to Day 7 and steady-state serum concentrations and pharmacokinetics were comparable to those observed previously in non-pregnant women. Two serious adverse events were reported in one infant but were not related to study drug. There were 22 non-serious adverse events, all mild or moderate, of which one (fatigue), was considered as related to study drug. There were no adverse events reported for the fetuses, and no clinically significant abnormal findings on the Doppler ultrasound including no constrictive effect on the ductus arteriosus. The results will be presented at the 66th Annual Scientific Meeting of the
Part B, is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial to assess the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of OBE022. It is planned to recruit 120 patients with preterm labor at a gestational age of 24 to 34 weeks. As in Part A, OBE022 or placebo will be administered orally, with 1000 mg as a starting dose, then 500 mg twice a day for 7 days to women already receiving atosiban infusion for 48 hours.
Part A of the study was conducted in
About Preterm Labour
Preterm labor, defined as the birthing process starting prior to 37 weeks of gestation, is a serious condition characterized by uterine contractions, cervical dilation and rupture of the fetal membranes that can lead to preterm birth. According to a study published in the Lancet in 2012, approximately 15 million babies were born before 37 weeks of gestation in 2010, accounting for 11.1% of all live births worldwide. Over 1 million children under the age of five died in 2013 worldwide due to preterm birth complications, and many infants who survive preterm birth are at greater risk for cerebral palsy, delays in development, hearing and vision issues, and often face a lifetime of disability. The rates of preterm births are rising in almost all countries with reliable data for preterm birth, and are associated with an immense financial impact to the global healthcare system.
To date, only treatments with limited efficacy or restrictive safety issues are available to treat preterm labor. In
While prostaglandin inhibitors (NSAIDs) have been shown to be effective for inhibiting preterm labor, use of such drugs is limited, due to the threat of serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects in the fetus. Such side effects may include kidney function impairment, premature constriction of the blood vessel connecting the pulmonary artery and the descending aorta in a developing fetus (ductus arteriosus), and higher risk of thrombosis of the intestinal arteries (a condition called necrotizing enterocolitis).
About OBE022 and PGF2alpha
About
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Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as "believe", "expect", "may", "plan," "potential," "will," and similar expressions, and are based on ObsEva’s current beliefs and expectations. These forward-looking statements include expectations regarding the clinical development of ObsEva’s product candidates, the timing of enrollment in and data from clinical trials and the results of interactions with regulatory authorities. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially include uncertainties inherent in the conduct of clinical trials, clinical development and related interactions with regulators, ObsEva’s reliance on third parties over which it may not always have full control, and other risks and uncertainties that are described in the Risk Factors section of ObsEva’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended
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