Merrell Dow's eflornithine
Executive Summary
Firm announced that 49 of 66 patients with pneumocystis carinii completing a 14 day treatment cycle with the drug were cured of the pneumonia. Merrell Dow said it received a total of 150 case reports of patients who received the drug under compassionate use, however, 84 patients did not complete the full cycle treatment. FDA recently granted the investigational compound orphan drug status for use in pneumocystis carinii and African sleeping sickness. The drug is currently in Phase III clinicals for pneumonia.