News
Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Inc. And ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. Form Alliance For An Investigational Treatment For Gastrointestinal Disorders In Exchange For $25 Million
Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a division of The Procter & Gamble Company and ARYx Therapeutics, a private drug discovery and development company, today announced a strategic alliance under which P&G will develop and commercialize ARYx's novel drug, ATI-7505, for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and gastroparesis (delayed emptying of the stomach).
GERD affects approximately four to seven percent of the global population, or approximately 250 to 450 million people worldwide. It can manifest itself as symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation. More than 50 percent of all diabetics suffer from gastroparesis, or more than 85 million people worldwide. Gastroparesis can lead to severe symptoms such as pain, nausea and vomiting, and even malnutrition.
ATI-7505 is an oral, serotonin type 4 (5HT4) agonist that is in Phase 2 development. ATI-7505 has been shown to have prokinetic properties (increases upper GI motility, which is believed to play a beneficial role in GI symptom reduction). Based on its mechanism of action, initial studies show that ATI- 7505 prevents the regurgitation of stomach contents into the esophagus and accelerates the emptying of the stomach. This action may help relieve the symptoms of conditions where motility of the gastrointestinal tract is a problem. A prior 5HT4 agonist, Propulsid(R) (cisapride), achieved nearly $1 billion in global sales, but was withdrawn from the market in 2000 due to side effects. ATI-7505 was designed using ARYx technology to retain the identical mechanism of action, while eliminating the safety issues. Clinical trial results to date support this target product profile, but larger studies are required to confirm the drug's efficacy and safety.