ZUG, Switzerland I November 16, 2015 I Turing Pharmaceuticals AG, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative treatments for serious diseases and conditions, today announced dosing of the first group of subjects in the TUR-004 single ascending dose study, the first clinical study in a comprehensive program aimed at obtaining approval for the treatment of epileptic encephalopathies.

“I’m happy to report that TUR-004 was well tolerated and assessments continue as planned,” said Eliseo Salinas, M.D., MSc, head of research and development for Turing. “This is certainly a small but significant milestone in a long path towards making this drug available for the patients who need it. Drug development is a very long path that takes hundreds of complicated small steps like this one,” he added.

Epileptic encephalopathies are a diverse group of severe epilepsy disorders in which uncontrolled epileptic activity contributes to a progressive decline in cognitive and motor function. The present trial is the first in the Phase I clinical program for TUR-004, a new candidate for this group of disorders. The trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of an oral formulation of TUR-004 in healthy young adult subjects. TUR-004 has received Fast Tack Designation from the FDA.

About Turing

Turing Pharmaceuticals AG is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company with offices in Zug, Switzerland, and New York, New York. Turing focuses on developing and commercializing innovative treatments for serious diseases and conditions across a broad range of therapeutic areas, for which there are currently limited or no treatment options. Products being developed include intranasal ketamine for a variety of mood disorders and Syntocinon® (oxytocin nasal solution) for multiple indications. Daraprim (pyrimethamine) for the treatment of Toxoplasmosis in combination with sulfonamide and Vecamyl® (mecamylamine HCl tablets) for hypertension are Turing’s first commercial products.

SOURCE: Turing Pharmaceuticals