Research Triangle Park-based BioMarck Pharmaceuticals, a North Carolina State University spin-out company started with the help of a $15,000 loan from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial for its lead drug candidate.
BioMarck, which has landed millions of investment dollars since its 2002 founding, is focused on developing BIO-11006, an inhalant designed by an NCSU cell biology professor, Dr. Kenneth Adler, to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It's considered unique in its approach to COPD therapy by inhibiting excess mucus in the lungs while also reducing inflammation.
This Phase 2 study is designed to establish proof-of-concept for BIO-11006 as an effective treatment for COPD, said Ted Murphy, vice president of research and development for BioMarck. The randomized, double-blind study will evaluate three doses of BIO-11006 against a placebo for 21 days. The study is designed to enroll 162 COPD patients with chronic bronchitis at 10 sites in the United States.