D-Pharm Ltd. (TASE: DPRM) today notified the TASE that it has halted the Phase III clinical trial of DP-b99 for the treatment of ischemic cerebral stroke. The steering committee for the trial ordered the company to stop recruiting patients, on a recommendation by the Data and Safety Monitoring Board that there were insufficient chances of success.
The recommendation was in the interim report on the trial, on the basis of the monitoring of the initial 350 participating patients. D Pharm immediately suspended further patient recruitment for the trial, but will continuing monitoring patients already participating in it, in order to obtain data to make a decision on whether to continue treatment or end it.
D Pharm is consulting with the steering committee on whether to conduct another review of the data by an independent statistical agency.
Clal Biotechnology Industries Ltd. (TASE: CBI), the life sciences investment arm of Nochi Dankner-controlled IDB Holding Corp. Ltd. (TASE:IDBH), owns 46% of D Pharm.
D Pharm's share price fell 74% after the TASE lifted the suspension in trading in the shares to NIS 3.43, giving a market cap of NIS 50 million, and Clal Biotech's share price fell 12.1% to NIS 18.35, giving a market cap of NIS 1.8 billion.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 24, 2012
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