Targacept drug fails to meet primary endpoint in diabetic gastroparesis

USA-based Targacept (Nasdaq: TRGT) has announced top-line results from a Phase I/II exploratory study of TC-6499 as a treatment for diabetic gastroparesis, a chronic disorder that slows or stops the passage of food from the stomach to the small intestine.

In the trial, TC-6499 did not meet the primary endpoint of the study, change in gastric emptying half-time (BT_t1/2), as measured by a carbon (13C) labeled gastric emptying breath test, relative to placebo.

Stephen Hill, Targacept’s president and chief executive, said: “The results we saw do not support the prior signal we had seen suggesting that TC-6499 might increase gastric motility in this patient population. While TC-6499 did demonstrate a positive safety and tolerability profile in this study, these results do not warrant further development of TC-6499 in this therapeutic area.”