• Derma Sciences Inc., of Princeton, N.J., said patient screening started in the second of two Phase III trials testing topical drug candidate DSC127 for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. The study will have three arms of 211 patients each and will test a 0.03 percent formulation of the drug against a topical vehicle and against a standard-of-care hydrogel. The first Phase III trial, which started in February, is testing two arms of 211 patients each, evaluating DSC127 vs. topical vehicle. In addition, about 200 patients will be enrolled in a chronic use safety study, which also began in February. Top-line data from the Phase III program are expected in the first quarter of 2015. (See BioWorld Today, Feb. 7, 2013.)

• R-Tech Ueno, of Tokyo, said it submitted an investigational new drug application to start Phase I/II trials of its recombinant human serum albumin-containing ophthalmic solution, in development for severe dry eye. The first stage of the trials will evaluate safety, assessed using placebo without the active ingredient in a control arm. The next stage will test RU-101 vs. placebo in patients for a 12-week period to determine safety and efficacy.

• Xencor Inc., of Monrovia, Calif., said partner MorphoSys AG, of Martinsried, Germany, dosed the first patient in a Phase II trial of MOR208 in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, triggering an undisclosed milestone payment to Xencor. The single-arm trial is designed to test the efficacy of MOR208 in patients with relapsed or refractory disease, while secondary outcome measures include response duration, safety and pharmacokinetics. About 30 patients are expected to be enrolled. MorphoSys licensed rights to the anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody Fc optimized for high cytotoxic function in 2010. (See BioWorld Today, June 29, 2010.)