MILLENNIUM INITIATES PHASE II CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE TRIAL

Millennium Pharmaceuticals announced the initiation of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II clinical trial of MLN1202 in patients at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This study is part of a broad clinical development program to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of MLN1202, a novel humanized monoclonal antibody, in a number of diseases including atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and scleroderma.

The Phase II clinical trial is designed to enroll up to 110 patients and assess safety and the effect of MLN1202, a CCR2 antagonist, on circulating C-reactive protein, a biomarker of the inflammation associated with atherosclerosis.