NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ICPT) (Intercept), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat chronic underserved liver diseases, today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 study of INT-767, a dual farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and TGR5 agonist, in healthy volunteers.
INT-767 is Intercept's second bile acid analog to enter clinical development, and is a three-fold more potent FXR agonist than obeticholic acid (OCA), Intercept's lead product candidate. INT-767 also activates TGR5, a second bile acid receptor. TGR5 has been shown to affect energy metabolism, glucose homeostasis, bile composition/secretion, and inflammation. INT-767 has potentially promising preclinical activity in both preventing and reversing organ damage due to fibrosis.
The goal of the Phase 1 study will be to assess safety and pharmacokinetics in a single ascending dose escalation phase followed by a multiple ascending dose phase in healthy volunteers.
"Advancing INT-767 into clinical development is another important milestone as we work to develop a portfolio of differentiated products to treat chronic liver diseases with high unmet medical need," said Mark Pruzanski, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Intercept. "We believe INT-767 has exciting clinical potential based on extensive preclinical study, and we look forward to the first clinical data to guide future development."
About Intercept
Intercept is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat chronic underserved liver diseases. The Company's lead product candidate, obeticholic acid (OCA), is an agonist of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR). OCA is being developed for a variety of chronic liver diseases, including primary biliary cirrhosis, recently renamed primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and biliary atresia. The FDA has granted OCA breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of NASH with liver fibrosis and granted OCA fast track designation for the treatment of patients with PBC. OCA has also received orphan drug designation in both the United States and Europe for the treatment of PBC and PSC. Intercept owns worldwide rights to OCA outside of Japan, China and Korea, where it has out-licensed the product candidate to Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma. Intercept's pipeline of product candidates includes other novel bile acid analogs such as INT-767, which is in clinical development. For more information about Intercept, please visit the Company's website at: www.interceptpharma.com.
Safe Harbor Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the clinical, preclinical and regulatory developments for Intercept's product candidates, the anticipated results of Intercept's clinical trials and preclinical studies and other development activities and the timing thereof, Intercept's potential development and regulatory milestones and the timeframes under which it anticipates such milestones may be achieved, the mechanisms of action of Intercept's product candidates, whether prior studies on such mechanisms of action will be replicated in studies on Intercept's product candidates and the potential effects of treatment in humans, and Intercept's strategic directives under the caption "About Intercept." These "forward-looking statements" are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of Intercept's development activities, preclinical studies and clinical trials; the timing of and Intercept's ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of OCA, INT-767 and any other product candidates it may develop, particularly the possibility that regulatory authorities may require clinical outcomes data (and not just results based on achievement of a surrogate endpoint) as a condition to any marketing approval for OCA, and any related restrictions, limitations, and/or warnings in the label of any approved product candidates; Intercept's plans to research, develop and commercialize its product candidates; the election by Intercept's collaborators to pursue research, development and commercialization activities; Intercept's ability to attract collaborators with development, regulatory and commercialization expertise; Intercept's ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for its product candidates; Intercept's ability to successfully commercialize its product candidates; the size and growth of the markets for Intercept's product candidates and its ability to serve those markets; the rate and degree of market acceptance of any future products; the success of competing drugs that are or become available; regulatory developments in the United States and other countries; the performance of third-party suppliers and manufacturers; Intercept's need for and ability to obtain additional financing; Intercept's estimates regarding expenses, future revenues and capital requirements and the accuracy thereof; Intercept's ability to retain key scientific or management personnel; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Intercept's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 filed on March 2, 2015 as well as any updates to these risk factors filed from time to time in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Intercept undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.