Anthera Announces Completion of Enrollment and Dosing in Phase II Trial of A-002 for the Treatment of Cardiovascul...( SAN MATEO Calif. Oct. 3 /- Anther...),Health

SAN MATEO, Calif., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company developing anti-inflammatory therapeutics for chronic and acute inflammatory diseases, announced today the completion of enrollment and patient dosing in its Phase II clinical study of its lead compound, A-002 for stable coronary artery disease. Data analysis is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

"We are pleased with the rapid enrollment of this study and look forward to reporting the results later this year," said Colin Hislop, M.D., Senior Vice President Clinical Development at Anthera Pharmaceuticals. "Previously reported results have been promising and we expect the results of our ongoing evaluation will help guide Phase III clinical trial design."

A-002 Clinical Trial Protocol

The PLASMA trial (Phospholipase Levels And Serological Markers of Atherosclerosis) is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that enrolled approximately 400 patients with stable coronary heart disease. Subjects were randomized to receive four doses of A-002 or standard of care for up to eight weeks. The study was designed to investigate the safety and the efficacy of A-002 (a potent inhibitor of the human enzymes known as secretory phospholipase A2) on dyslipidemia (primarily Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol "LDL-C") and systemic inflammation (as measured by levels of C-Reactive Protein "CRP") in patients with stable coronary heart disease. Elevated levels of sPLA2 have been implicated in abnormal lipid metabolism, atherogenesis and vascular inflammation. The Company is scheduled to meet with the Food and Drug Administration in the fourth quarter for an end-of-Phase II meeting to obtain concurrence on the design of the Phase III program.

A-002 Once Daily Clinical Trial

Based on preliminary data from the PLASMA Phase II clinical trial, Anthera has initiated a follow up clinical study investigat
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