Cephalon Inc. said Thursday it has begun the first of twoclinical testing phases of its drug, Myotrophin, in amyotrophiclateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.

The West Chester, Pa., company said it will follow an open-labelstudy in a select ALS patient population with a double-blind,placebo-controlled Phase II trial at major ALS clinics in the U.S.

Earlier this month, Cephalon said it raised $45 million in aprivate placement in Cephalon Clinical Partners, L.P., a limitedpartnership, to develop Myotrophin, a recombinant form ofhuman insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).

The company in May completed Phase I dose-ranging studiesof Myotrophin in the United Kingdom. Cephalon said it expectsto begin the second phase of its European ALS clinical testingprogram of Myotrophin in 1993.

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