Bio-Light Israeli Life Sciences Investments Ltd. (TASE:BOLT) subsidiary OBEcure Ltd. says that a breakdown of findings in the Phase II clinical trial in the US of its OBE101 drug for the treatment of obesity indicated statistically significant results for weight loss among women aged 50 or less, except for women of Hispanic descent.
Earlier this month, the company reported that initial results indicated that OBE101 was ineffective. Although patients lost weight, the loss was statistically insignificant compared with the control group. Biolight’s share fell 60% on the news.
However, today’s results indicate that variables such as age, gender, and ethnic origin have a statistically significant effect on weight loss. The segment of the sub-population of women aged up to 50 indicated a statistical trend showing that a certain dosage caused substantial weight loss in patients, compared with the control group, throughout the period of the trial.
In this sub-population, except for women of Hispanic descent, weight loss was the most statistically significant among patients taking high dosage of OBE101, compared with the control group.
In view of the latest findings, OBEcure intends to pursue additional clinical trials of the drug.
OBEcure CEO Dr. Pnina Beck said, “We’re impressed by the statistically significance discovered in the population segment that includes women aged up to 50. This is a very large market, which opens before us a target market worth billions of dollars.”
Biolight’s share rose 36% in morning trading on the news.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on August 29, 2007
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