Merz publishes Phase III study results assessing the impact of NT 201 on muscle tone

Data results published this month in Clinical Neuropharmacology, revealed that Merz Pharmaceuticals' NT 201 (botulinum toxin type A free from complexing proteins), also known by the brand name Xeomin in Europe and Canada, was statistically significantly more efficacious than placebo for the treatment of patients with post-stroke upper limb spasticity. The Phase III study assessed the impact of NT 201 on muscle tone, functional disability and caregiver burden in patients with post-stroke upper limb spasticity, utilizing a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind design.

NT 201 is high in biologic activity and has a low protein load. It has been approved for marketing in Europe since 2005 to treat various movement disorders, and recently approved in Canada for the management of blepharospasm, cervical dystonia of a predominantly rotational form and post-stroke spasticity of the upper limb.

In the Phase III trial, a higher proportion of patients receiving NT 201 were responders in terms of improvement in the wrist flexors four weeks after treatment. Responders were defined as patients with at least 1 point of improvement in the Ashworth Scale Score.

Petr Kanovsky, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology, Palacky University Medical School, Olomouc, Czech Republic, and the Phase III study primary investigator said, "In addition to the impact it has on the day-to-day life activities, post-stroke spasticity can cause significant pain and discomfort to patients. The positive outcomes presented in this study suggest NT 201 may give promise to patients in search of a treatment option for post-stroke spasticity."

According to the National Stroke Association, 58 percent of stroke survivors experience post-stroke spasticity and only 51 percent of those are receiving treatment for that condition. Aside from pain and significant discomfort, post-stroke muscle spasticity can negatively impact mobility, ability to carry out personal hygiene, and other activities of daily living. In this study, significant improvements were shown in each of the four domains of the Disability Assessment Scale (DAS), including dressing, limb position, hygiene and pain, among patients treated with NT 201.