ChemoCentryx has initiated a Phase II clinical trial for CCX168, an orally-administered small molecule for the treatment of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV).
Developed by ChemoCentryx under the alliance with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), CCX168 specifically targets the C5a receptor (C5aR), a potent pro-inflammatory mediator responsible for AAV, as well as several other autoimmune diseases.
The randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial will evaluate the safety and tolerability of CCX168 in patients with ANCA-associated renal vasculitis, while assessing the potential for reducing or eliminating the use of corticosteroids in the patients.
ChemoCentryx president and CEO Thomas Schall said the company’s drug candidate have shown the promise of blocking specific chemokines and chemoattractant cytokines in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
