Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel NNR Therapeutics™, today announced top-line results from two separate exploratory Phase 2 studies of its product candidate TC-6987 conducted in the United States, one in asthma and one in type 2 diabetes. In the asthma study, oral TC-6987 met protocol-defined success criteria (one-sided p < 0.1) on both co-primary outcome measures, change from baseline in forced expiratory volume for adjunct TC-6987 compared to adjunct placebo measured at two time points on day 28 (51ml and 58ml). In the type 2 diabetes study, the primary outcome measure, change in fasting plasma glucose, was not met, and Targacept will not pursue further development of TC-6987 as a treatment for diabetes. TC-6987 is a modulator of the alpha7 neuronal nicotinic receptor (NNR) discovered by Targacept scientists using Pentad™, the company’s proprietary drug discovery platform.