(ShareCast News) - Specialist drug discovery and development company ImmuPharma updated the market on the progress of its Phase III clinical trial of Lupuzor - its lead programme for the potential breakthrough compound for Lupus - on Wednesday.The AIM-traded firm said it now had a total of 11 sites active in the US, as well as five European countries now recruiting Lupus patients in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary and Poland.Its board said the final two European countries, UK and Italy, will open within the next few weeks.The Mauritius site already confirmed that more than 10 Lupus patients have been pre-screened prior to dosing."We are delighted by the continued progress of the Lupuzor Phase III trial both with the US now having the full 11 sites active and the opening of further countries across Europe," said chairman Tim McCarthy."Additionally, we are encouraged following the announcement last week of the opening of a new site in Mauritius, that we have already commenced screening a number of Lupus patients in advance of first dosing."The key milestone this year remains for the completion of the recruitment of the 200 Lupus patients into the trial and we look forward to providing further positive updates on this Lupuzor Phase III study as it progresses throughout this year and 2017," McCarthy explained.