BioCentury
ARTICLE | Tools & Techniques

Aiming at the Gaucher franchise

May 1, 2000 7:00 AM UTC

After years with a monopoly in the treatment of Gaucher disease, Genzyme Corp. finally could be facing some competition. Oxford GlycoSciences plc last week published data showing that its OGT 918 compound reduces organ volumes associated with the disease. With two other trials underway, OGS plans to register the orally available compound next year.

OGS (Abingdon, U.K.) published data in The Lanceton a one-year 28-patient Phase I/II trial of OGT 918, an inhibitor of the glucosyltransferase enzyme. The product produced a 12 percent reduction in mean liver volume (p<0.001), a 19 percent reduction in spleen volume (p<0.001), and 16.4 percent reduction in chitotriosidase, a disease marker (p<0.001)...