Getting it right, more or less

Last year, Alteon Inc.'s alagebrium (ALT-711) failed in separate Phase II trials in systolic hypertension and diastolic heart failure. The company is now hypothesizing that the two patient populations need different dose levels because alagebrium may have two separate mechanisms of action, each of which may be triggered at a different dose. ALT is testing that hypothesis in two new Phase II trials.

Alagebrium is an oral thiazolium compound that breaks advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) crosslinks. At all dose levels, ALT thinks alagebrium may be acting to break glucose cross-links, which harden tissues such as artery walls. ...