Concert Pharmaceuticals announces $8 million milestone from Celgene

Phase I clinical evaluation of CTP-730 completed.

“We are encouraged by the favorable pharmacokinetic profile of CTP-730 observed in our Phase 1 clinical trials,” stated Roger Tung, President and CEO of Concert Pharmaceuticals. “We believe that selective incorporation of deuterium in apremilast has resulted in a potential next generation anti-inflammatory agent.”

The Phase I program included both single and multiple ascending dose trials. The Phase I clinical trials assessed the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CTP-730 in 85 healthy subjects. Treatment with CTP-730 was generally well tolerated and no serious adverse events were observed. The most common adverse events were similar to those already identified for apremilast.

The CTP-730 Phase I clinical trials were conducted under a 2013 development and license agreement established by Concert and Celgene to evaluate deuterium-modified compounds for inflammatory diseases and cancer. The collaboration is initially focused on the development of CTP-730, but has the potential to encompass up to three additional programs. Celgene is responsible for all development costs of CTP-730 beyond the Phase I clinical trials conducted by Concert.