• 7TM Pharma A/S, of Horsholm, Denmark, reported positive results from two clinical studies of obesity drug TM30339, a drug designed to work via the Y4 receptor to mimic a natural satiety signal from the gastrointestinal tract involved in the regulation of food. Results from a Phase Ia study demonstrated that the drug is safe and well tolerated when single doses are administered, resulting in very substantial and persistent plasma levels of the drug. A Phase Ib study in obese patients confirmed that safety and tolerability profile, including up to 14 days of dosing. 7TM expects to initiate a Phase II study with TM30339 in the first half of this year.

• Allon Therapeutics Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said top-line results from a Phase IIa trial of AL-108 showed that the drug had a positive impact on memory function in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer's disease. The company reported statistically significant efficacy on key endpoints that measured short-term, working and recognition memory, as measured by cognitive tests. Patients in the high-dose (15 mg twice daily) group showed a 62.4 percent improvement from baseline vs. placebo in the delayed-match-to-sample test by the end of the trial and also showed a 17.2 percent increase from baseline vs. placebo in the digit span test. Allon anticipates moving into Phase IIb studies in Alzheimer's disease and plans to explore additional Phase IIb studies.

• Circassia Ltd., of Oxford, UK, started a Phase II study of allergy candidate ToleroMune and aims to complete the trial in cat dander allergy in the coming months. The Phase II trial will evaluate escalating doses administered via two different routes - intradermal and subcutaneous - in up to 11 patient cohorts, with each containing eight subjects with cat dander allergy. So far, dosing has been completed in the first patient cohort and is ongoing in the second and third groups of patients. The ToleroMune technology is designed to use small sections of allergens (T-cell epitopes) to rapidly desensitize allergy sufferers, while minimizing the potential for adverse reactions.

• Oculus Innovative Sciences Inc., of Petaluma, Calif., reported positive top-line results from its 66-patient Phase II trial, showing that Microcyn Technology, a topical antimicrobial treatment, both as a monotherapy and in combination with levofloxacin, demonstrated a positive clinical response, defined as the clinical cure or improvement of infection, in patients with mildly infected diabetic foot ulcers. At day 10, clinical success was observed in 15 patients (75 percent) receiving Microcyn monotherapy, 16 patients (64 percent) receiving Microcyn plus levofloxacin and 12 patients (57 percent) receiving levofloxacin plus saline. At day 24, 15 patients (75 percent) in the Microcyn monotherapy group had clinical success, along with 18 patients (72 percent) in the Microcyn plus levofloxacin group and 11 patients (52 percent) in the levofloxacin plus saline group. Oculus now plans to request an end-of-Phase II meeting with the FDA to define the scope and parameters for advancing Microcyn's clinical program.