DalCor Pharma links with MHI to develop dalcetrapib

USA-based DalCor Pharmaceuticals has entered into a collaboration in principle with Canada’s Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) to conduct an international Phase III clinical trial which could result in a major clinical advance in cardiovascular personalized medicine.

The trial will seek to validate the clinical efficacy of dalcetrapib, an investigational medicine that, according to a recently published analysis by the MHI, could reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality by as much as 39% in patients with a documented recent acute coronary syndrome and with the appropriate genetic profile. This Phase III clinical study will screen more than 30,000 patients across 30 countries in order to identify 5,000 patients having the appropriate genetic profile that is expected to benefit from dalcetrapib.

DalCor, a company developed by San Mateo, California-based Sanderling Ventures, has licensed dalcetrapib from Swiss pharma major Roche (ROG: SIX), which decided to discontinue its Phase III development of the drug following a lack of clinically meaningful efficacy (The Pharma Letter May 8, 2012).