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Movetis Announces Start of a Phase IIa trial for M0002 in Ascites

11 Jun 2007 - Movetis NV, a Belgian biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing compounds for gastrointestinal disorders, announced the start of a Phase-IIa multiple-dose trial with one of its lead products, M0002, an orally-active selective vasopressin antagonist that inhibits water re-absorption from the kidneys.
 
The Phase-IIa trial is designed to investigate the efficacy, safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of M0002 in cirrhotic subjects who experience ascites, an accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity. Conventional diuretic drugs, which are currently used to treat ascites, have the drawback that they promote the excretion of both salt and water, whereas M0002, because it is an electrolyte-sparing aquaretic causes much lower levels of salt excretion. This important differential could potentially offer clinical advantages in the treatment of cirrhosis and other disorders caused by water-retention. In tests conducted to date, single-doses of M0002 (1-5 mg) in patients with liver cirrhosis have resulted in increased output of diluted urine.