PREDIX MOVES FORWARD WITH GAD DRUG STUDY

Drugmaker Predix, based in Lexington, Mass., has completed enrollment for its first Phase III trial of PRX-00023, the company's treatment for patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The preliminary results are due in the second half of 2006.

PRX-00023 is a novel, highly selective, small-molecule stimulator -- or agonist -- of a specific GPCR known as 5-HT1A. The drug has been indicated for the treatment of GAD and depression.

GAD is characterized by excessive and unrealistic anxiety about everyday events and can be accompanied by restlessness, irritability and difficulty concentrating. Approximately 300 million people worldwide are affected by the disorder, said Predix.