Altheus Therapeutics begins Phase 2 study of drug combination

Oklahoma City-based Altheus Therapeutics has enrolled its first patient in a Phase 2 study of Zoenasa, a novel combination therapy for ulcerative colitis. Zoenasa is a combination of mesalamine, the current standard of care in ulcerative colitis, plus a second potent anti-inflammatory agent not previously used to treat the disease. In multiple animal models and one human study the combination has shown to be 50 to 100 percent more effective than standard therapy. The potential of the Zoenasa combination was discovered by Altheus' scientific founder, Dr. Richard Harty, past chief of gastroenterology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Nearly 1.2 million Americans suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, with 2.3 million people affected worldwide. The two most common forms, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are chronic lifelong conditions which significantly impact quality of life.