New Intravenous Anticoagulant

The results of a phase II study suggest that a new drug candidate is an effective and convenient anticoagulant. The results were reported at the 20th Congress of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) held in Sydney (Australia) in August 2005.

The new compound, known as TGN 255, was developed by Trigen Holdings AG (Munich, Germany). The company conducted the study in 28 patients undergoing hemodialysis at several sites in Europe to assess whether TGN 255 would adequately anticoagulate the extracorporeal circuit in hemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal failure and to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drug in that setting. The results showed that TGN 255 did provide effective and convenient anticoagulant cover in this setting with a high level of control and with no increase in bleeding risk.

TGN 255 is a novel, intravenous small-molecule direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI) being developed as a predictable and safer alternative for anticoagulation in hospital settings. The final results of the study will be available in the fall of 2005. However, Trigen believes the preliminary data support the progression of TGN 255 into late-stage clinical trials. Trigen is a biotechnology company, focusing on thrombosis and vascular dysfunction. The company has developed two discovery platforms, SIGSCREEN and THROMSCAN, which have been applied in collaborations with a number of multinational pharmaceutical firms.