• Aragon Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, initiated dosing in a Phase I/II trial of ARN-509 for castration-resistant prostate cancer. ARN-509 is a small-molecule androgen receptor antagonist designed to modulate expression of genes that drive prostate cancer growth. The Phase I portion of the study is open-label and will evaluate safety and tolerability of multiple doses, as well as pharmacokinetics and biomarkers. The Phase II portion of the study will evaluate ARN-509 activity in distinct patient populations and define optimal dosing.

• Fibrocell Science Inc., of Exton, Pa., submitted a study report to the FDA summarizing a Phase II/III trial of azficel-T for moderate to severe acne scars. The product, an autologous cell therapy, is under FDA review for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial fold wrinkles.

• Merck & Co., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., said results of the Phase II SPRINT-1 study, which were published online in The Lancet, showed that adding boceprevir to standard treatment increased the cure rate to as high as 75 percent of patients with hepatitic C after 48 weeks of the three-drug combination therapy, compared with 38 percent of those who received the standard two-drug treatment.

• QRxPharma Ltd., of Bedminster, N.J., said Phase II data showed that MoxDuo IR (immediate-release morphine plus oxycodone) offered better pain relief with fewer side effects than morphine alone following hip replacement surgery. The double-blind, active-controlled, investigator-initiated, 40-patient study was conducted in Germany. MoxDuo IR provided 50 percent better pain relief during the initial one-hour dose-titration period and 10 percent better pain relief during the 48-hour study, with less nausea and vomiting. Phase III U.S. trials are ongoing.