• Acorda Therapeutics Inc., of Hawthorne, N.Y., presented long-term follow-data on Ampyra (dalfampridine) at the congress of the European and Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS and ACTRIMS). Patients who responded to the drug in clinical trials continued to respond through five years of follow-up. Tolerability was similar to that seen in the clinical trial. Ampyra is a potassium channel blocker approved to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis.

• AVI BioPharma Inc., of Bothell, Wash., said data from the first five cohorts of its Phase I trials of AVI-6002 for Ebola virus and AVI-6003 Marburg virus were evaluated by an independent data and safety monitoring board. No safety concerns were identified and the board recommended that both studies continue.

• Halozyme Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, said two Phase II trials of its ultrafast PH20 insulin analog formulation met their primary endpoint of non-inferiority to the insulin analog comparator in Type I and Type II diabetes. Both compounds lowered HbA1C and provided superior reductions in post-prandial glucose excursions than the control arms. Full data will be presented in 2012.

• Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH, of Frankfurt, Germany, reported clinical data showing that cervical dystonia or blepharospasm patients treated with Xeomin (botulism toxin Type A) experienced long-term sustained efficacy with a favorable safety profile of up to 121 and 88 weeks duration. Data were presented at the International Dystonia Symposium in Barcelona, Spain.

• OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Bothell, Wash., initiated a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II trial of OGX-427 plus chemotherapy for advanced bladder cancer. OGX-427 is a heat shock protein 27 inhibitor.

• Xencor Inc., of Monrovia, Calif., initiated a Phase I trial of XmAb5871, a humanized monoclonal antibody being developed to treat autoimmune disorders such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Under an agreement signed earlier this year, Amgen Inc., of Thousand Oaks, Calif., has the option to an exclusive worldwide license of XmAb5871 following the completion of a Phase II study. Xencor will lead all clinical development until that time. (See BioWorld Today, Jan. 10, 2011.)