Durect (DRRX)

[realfast95]

milestones
Q2 closing deal - upfront payment to DURECT of $20 million
Q3 complete dosing patients in PERSIST in the third quarter. PERSIST, a Phase 3
Q4 PERSIST, a Phase 3, top-line results

tbd start of phase2 of DUR-928


In an April 25 Laidlaw & Company research report, analyst Francois Brisebois observed that at its lowest dose, DUR-928 "showed reduction in liver function and injury biomarkers after only 12 hours. Additionally, inflammation markers and mediators such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and IL-18, as well as CK18 (cell death biomarker), were reduced in NASH (especially in cirrhotics). The full data set confirmed these findings with a single dose, which is a real positive in our opinion."

The Laidlaw analyst also noted that with the Phase 3 PERSIST trial "of Posimir for post-operative pain expected to read-out by year end-2017, IND [investigational new drug] filings in both liver and kidney programs around mid-2017 and initiation of a Phase 2 trial for DUR-928 in mid-2017 for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), 2017 should be an exciting year for DRRX."

According to a report by Reuters, the market for NASH, also known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, "is forecast to be $20 billion to $35 billion as populations with fatty diets increasingly fall victim to a condition with no approved treatments."