Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Friday that an oral version of its constipation drug Relistor met its goal in a clinical trial, and the company plans further trials of the drug.
Relistor is designed to treat constipation caused by use of opioid painkillers, which is a common side effect of treatment with those drugs. Progenics said 12 of the 25 patients in the mid-stage study moved their bowels within four hours of taking a Relistor tablet.
An injectable version of Relistor is already on the market, but an oral version would likely be seen as more convenient. The company will start late-stage tests based on the results. It said a new trial will begin in late 2010.
Its shares advanced 34 cents, or 6.8 percent, to $5.25 in midday trading.
Relistor was developed by Progenics in a collaboration with Wyeth. Progenics regained the rights after Wyeth was sold to Pfizer Inc. in October, but Wyeth is still responsible for some of the costs of testing.
The injectable version of Relistor, or methylnaltrexone, was approved in the U.S. in April 2008. It is on the market in about 40 countries, Progenics said.