• Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, said results from a Phase I trial of its candidate for pulmonary arterial hypertension, APD811, showed its half-life was about 20 hours with dose-limiting adverse events of nausea and vomiting at 0.2 mg. Results support going on to a Phase 1b trial.

• Cerulean Pharma Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., dosed its first patients in a Phase II trial of CRLX101 for non-small-cell lung cancer. The study will assess safety and efficacy of CRLX101 in patients with advanced disease following one or two prior regimens of therapy. Patients will be randomized to CRLX101 plus supportive care, or supportive care alone. Endpoints include overall survival, progression-free survival, tumor response and pharmacokinetics.

A data monitoring committee has given a pass to a Phase III trial of StemEx, by Gamida Cell-Teva Joint Venture, of Jerusalem, recommending that the joint venture continue to enroll patients. StemEx is being studied for blood cancers in adolescents and adults. That was the final required DMC evaluation of the trial.

• Genfit, of Lille, France, reported results of a Phase II trial of GFT505 in a group of treatment-naïve diabetic patients showing that the drug improved glucose homeostasis compared to placebo, lowered plasma triglyceride levels and improved markers of hepatic dysfunction. The trial enrolled 97 patients, and was conducted for 12 weeks.