Aquinox Pharmaceuticals has begun dosing patients in a Phase II trial of its lead clinical candidate, AQX-1125, a SHIP1 activator, for the treatment of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The multinational trial is being conducted at outpatient clinics across northern and central Europe and will evaluate the safety and efficacy of AQX-1125 in approximately 350-400 unstable moderate to severe COPD patients with a history of frequent exacerbations. The company has received regulatory approval for the trial in four countries and anticipates completion with top-line results occurring before the end of 2014.

Most marketed therapies for COPD are inhaled drugs directed towards managing symptoms by dilating narrowed airways (bronchodilators), often in combination with inhaled corticosteroids. These inhaled therapies, while demonstrating the ability to ease breathing, have modest effects on slowing the progression of COPD or reducing exacerbations. The most widely prescribed treatment for an acute exacerbation is a combination of antibiotics and oral corticosteroids but they can only be used for short duration leaving patients susceptible to secondary exacerbations. The company is developing AQX-1125 to provide new anti-inflammatory agents with reduced side effects that can be used for longer duration to resolve and prevent exacerbations.