03 December 2012

MK-8931, BACE1 inhibitor, enters Phase 2/3 for Alzehimer’s

Perhaps no other single target so successfully demonstrates the potential of fragment-based approaches as BACE1, a challenging aspartyl protease implicated in Alzheimer’s Disease. Practical Fragments has previously written about efforts from Merck, Lilly, Pfizer, Evotec, and Amgen (there’s also the Astex-AstraZeneca collaboration).

Today Merck announced that their MK-8931 has entered a Phase 2/3 clinical trial, a randomized placebo-controlled study which will run for 78 weeks and enroll up to 1700 patients in the phase 3 portion.

There have been concerns lately as to whether or not BACE1 is a viable target for Alzheimers; it will take large studies like this to answer that question. Practical Fragments wishes them luck.
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3 comments:

  1. dailyrxDecember 04, 2012 2:20 PM

    According to what I read here: http://www.rxwiki.com/mk-8931 as well as what you're saying, it sounds like targeting proteins is the wave of the future. Keep up the great reporting!

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  2. ChrisDecember 05, 2012 2:18 AM

    Probably the last throw of the dice for BACE?

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  3. @BioDueDiligenceDecember 08, 2012 6:13 PM

    Glad to have stumbled upon your blog, even though the technical discussion is over my head. I follow mk-8931 and the Astex fragment discovery programs closely on my BiotechDueDiligence website so I am always glad to have another source. It is interesting to note that this program dates back to a screening deal between SGP and Pharmacopeia PCOP, which was later bought by Ligand Pharma LGND, who now stands to receives royalties on MK-8931

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