BioLineRx Announces Positive Phase 2a Trial Results for Orally Available IBD Treatment

BioLineRx

announced today additional Phase 2a results showing significant improvement of disease measurements in biopsies taken from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients treated with BL-7040, an orally available drug for treating IBD. The histological and biochemical analyses of inflammation indicators reinforce the initial positive results of the study, reported in April 2013, which showed that BL-7040 is safe and effective in treating ulcerative colitis, a form of IBD. In order to perform the histological and biochemical analyses, biopsies were taken from trial participants before and after treatment. Biopsies from each time point were collected and randomly assigned to either a histological evaluation or to an assessment for levels of cytokines, considered as pro-inflammatory bio-markers. All analyses were performed in a blinded manner. The histological results show that neutrophil levels were significantly reduced (p=0.002) in patients treated with BL-7040. Neutrophils are the major cellular participant in acute inflammation, and their presence in the colon mucosa is believed