Targacept, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as NNR Therapeutics, has completed analysis of data from a phase-1 multiple rising dose trial of TC-6499, a product candidate included in the GlaxoSmithKline alliance, and concluded that the results do not project a therapeutic margin sufficient to support further development of TC-6499 for neuropathic pain.

"While we are disappointed not to be moving TC-6499 forward, we have learned a great deal about the NNR targets involved in perception of pain," said J Donald deBethizy, Targacept's president and chief executive officer. "Importantly, our alliance with GlaxoSmithKline continues to make progress as we remain focused on advancing programmes in smoking cessation, obesity, Parkinson's disease, addiction and pain. We are fortunate to have a pipeline of NNR Therapeutics representing multiple opportunities for future success."

Targacept's first-generation product candidates for pain, which include TC-6499, have acted primarily at a specific form of the alpha4beta2 NNR subtype. Emerging developments in the NNR field suggest that a compound with concurrent activity at multiple NNR subtypes may have increased potency. Targacept is leveraging this learning to guide its research in the discovery of next generation product candidates for pain in its alliance with GlaxoSmithKline.

Targacept is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that discovers and develops NNR Therapeutics, a new class of drugs for the treatment of central nervous system diseases and disorders.