Rigel Pharma to focus on three leading clinical programs

USA-based Rigel Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: RIGL) today announced its plans to focus the company's resources on the completion of three lead clinical programs, a move which follows recent disappointing clinical results with the company’s asthma drug candidate R343 (The Pharma Letter August 27).

These efforts include commencing a Phase III clinical study of fostamatinib (previously licensed to AstraZeneca, which has returned rights to the drug; TPL June 4), an oral SYK inhibitor, in immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) pending discussions with regulatory agencies. Rigel believes that a Phase III clinical program would encompass around 150 patients and can be completed in 2015.

Rigel's other two lead programs, R333, a topical dermatological JAK/SYK inhibitor for discoid lupus erythematosus, and R348, a topical ophthalmic JAK/SYK inhibitor for dry eye, are presently in Phase II studies, with results expected in fourth-quarter 2013 and second-quarter 2014, respectively. Rigel expects to advance one of these two molecules into a Phase III clinical program by 2014/15.