Corcept Therapeutics and Xceleron Sign Agreement for Microdosing Study Using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

Corcept Therapeutics and Xceleron have announced an agreement for a human microdosing study of one of Corcept’s new chemical entities, a selective GR-II antagonist, utilizing Xceleron’s Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) technology.

In early 2003, Corcept initiated a discovery research program to identify and patent selective GR-II antagonists to develop a pipeline of products for proprietary use. Three distinct series of GR-II antagonists were identified. These compounds appear to be as potent as Corcept’s lead product CORLUX® in blocking cortisol but, unlike CORLUX, they do not block the progesterone or other steroid receptors.

Corcept will evaluate one of the compounds, one which develops particularly high plasma and brain concentrations in an animal model, in a human microdosing study using Xceleron’s AMS technology.

Joseph K. Belanoff, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Corcept said “We look forward to testing the bioavailability of our proprietary specific cortisol receptor antagonists in man. There are many potential clinical uses for cortisol blocking agents, particularly those that do not block the activity of other hormones. Our collaboration with Xceleron, and the use of their highly innovative approach, will save Corcept significant time and cost.”

Xceleron will carry out the work using ultra-sensitive AMS. This sensitive measuring device can enable human drug-metabolite profiling to be performed in the early stages of clinical development. This type of analysis allows drug developers to detect and measure ultra-low levels of both known and previously unknown metabolites producing data that isn’t available using other analytical techniques.

Early human profiling also helps identify the most suitable species for use in long term toxicology and pharmacology studies.