Delay of game

Phase III trials of Guilford Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Dopascan iodinated tropane derivative to diagnose Parkinson's disease could be delayed from the end of this year until the second half of 1998. Based on discussions on Phase III design with the FDA, GLFD is considering a longitudinal Phase IIIstudy of Dopascan, which would involve a six-month patient follow-up to demonstrate that use of Dopascan accelerates the diagnosis of PD.

The company (Baltimore, Md.) will decide before year end whether to conduct an additional Phase IIb trial to test the longitudinal design, which would push the Phase III trial back...