Deltanoid Pharmaceuticals begins phase II osteoporosis study

Madison, Wis. - Deltanoid Pharmaceuticals, a privately held pharmaceutical company based in Madison, has begun a Phase 2 clinical study of 2MD, its lead osteoporosis compound.

The study is being conducted to determine whether 2MD can safely improve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis, a disease caused by the loss of normal bone that results in susceptibility to fractures, occurs frequently in postmenopausal women and elderly women.

Osteoporosis currently affects about 10 million people in the United States alone, and another 34 million are at risk. The current global market for osteoporosis is estimated to be more than $7 billion, and it's growing as the population ages.

2MD is a vitamin D compound discovered in the laboratory of Hector DeLuca, a professor and researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and president and CEO of Deltanoid.

In previous studies, the compound has induced new bone formation in animal models of osteoporosis, and was found to be safe and well tolerated. Existing treatments for osteoporosis rely primarily on anti-resorptive agents, which can reduce the loss of bone but cannot induce new bone formation.

The phase II study will be conducted in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density at eight clinical sites throughout the United States, including the Osteoporosis Clinical Center and Research Program at UW-Madison.

Deltanoid Pharmaceuticals began in 2001 to advance the development of patented vitamin D compounds licensed from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. In addition to osteoporosis, the company is working to develop and commercialize therapies for psoriasis, autoimmune diseases, cancers, and the bone diseases of kidney failure.

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