Full Press Release Details
MENLO PARK, Calif., April 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (NASDAQ: CORT), a commercial-stage company engaged in the discovery and development of medications to treat severe endocrinologic, oncologic, metabolic and neurologic disorders by modulating the effects of the hormone cortisol, today announced completion of enrollment in DAZALS, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial of its proprietary selective cortisol modulator dazucorilant in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
DAZALS enrolled 249 patients, randomized 1:1:1 to receive either 150 mg of dazucorilant, 300 mg of dazucorilant or placebo daily for 24 weeks. The study’s primary endpoint is change from baseline in the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), which measures motor impairment and functional deterioration in patients with ALS. Key secondary endpoints include overall survival and quality of life. DAZALS was conducted at sites in Europe, United States and Canada.
“Better treatments for ALS are urgently needed,” said Bill Guyer, PharmD, Corcept’s Chief Development Officer. “Dazucorilant showed great promise in an animal model of ALS – improving motor performance and reducing neuroinflammation and muscular atrophy. Fully enrolling DAZALS is an important step toward understanding dazucorilant's potential for significantly improving outcomes for people living with this devastating disease. We expect data by the end of this year.”
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a fatal degenerative neurologic disorder that affects more than 25,000 people in the United States. ALS causes muscles to weaken and as the disease progresses, severely impairs patients’ ability to speak, eat, move and breathe. There is increasing evidence that patients with ALS exhibit elevated or abnormal cortisol levels, particularly those with rapid disease progression. A patient’s average life expectancy after diagnosis is two to five years.
Dazucorilant is a selective cortisol modulator that binds to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), but does not bind to the body’s other hormone receptors. Dazucorilant crosses the blood-brain barrier and Corcept is studying it as a potential treatment for ALS and other neurologic disorders. Dazucorilant is proprietary to Corcept and is protected by composition of matter, method of use and other patents.
About Corcept Therapeutics
For over 25 years, Corcept’s focus on cortisol modulation and its potential to treat patients across a wide variety of serious disorders has led to the discovery of more than 1,000 proprietary selective cortisol modulators. Corcept’s advanced clinical trials are being conducted in patients with hypercortisolism, solid tumors, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and liver disease (NASH). In February 2012, the company introduced Korlym, the first medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with Cushing’s syndrome. Corcept is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. For more information, visit Corcept.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements based on our current plans and expectations that are subject to risks and uncertainties that might cause our actual results to differ materially from those such statements express or imply. These risks and uncertainties are set forth in our SEC filings, which are available at our website and the SEC’s website.
In this press release, forward-looking statements include those concerning: Dazucorilant, including its clinical attributes and potential to become a treatment for patients with ALS or any other disorder, the conduct, pace and outcome of our DAZALS trial, and dazucorilant’s potential commercialization. We disclaim any intention or duty to update forward-looking statements made in this press release.