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(Alliance News) - PureTech Health PLC on Tuesday said its therapeutic LYT-300 achieved its primary endpoint for acute anxiety reduction, in a Phase 2a trial using healthy volunteers.
The Boston-based biotechnology firm said the orally administered drug, also known as oral allopregnanolone, achieved a statistically significant reduction in the stress hormone response, with production of salivary cortisol increasing at lower rates than the placebo group's.
PureTech added that among the 80 healthy test subjects, LYT-300 was well-tolerated with only transient, mild or moderate adverse events.
"These data validate that LYT-300 has potential to make a difference for people living with anxiety, where there's been a dearth of innovation and existing treatments have drawbacks," said Chief Executive Officer Daphne Zohar. "The successful outcome of this trial builds on our strategy of identifying drugs with proven clinical efficacy but with historical limitations that have held back their therapeutic use, and then applying an innovative solution to enhance their potential for patients."
PureTech is developing LYT-300 as a potential treatment for anxiety disorders, mood disorders and other neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions. It is one of seven central nervous system programmes based on PureTech's Glyph platform, which is designed to enable therapeutics to be administered orally where this would usually be impossible.
PureTech intends to conduct additional studies next year, as part of its "overall development strategy in anxiety-related indications".
PureTech Health shares were up 1.2% at 175.26 pence in London on Tuesday morning.
By Emma Curzon, Alliance News reporter
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