Coronado partner stops mid-stage study of bowel disease treatment

(Reuters) - Coronado Biosciences Inc said its German partner discontinued a mid-stage study of its inflammatory bowel disease treatment due to lack of effectiveness. The news comes about three weeks after Coronado said the treatment, Trichuris suis ova, failed to meet the main goal of a mid-stage study. The company said on Thursday that its partner, Dr. Falk Pharma GmbH, discontinued the study on the recommendation of an independent data monitoring committee. The committee said the treatment was not effective, but there were no safety concerns. Coronado said the committee analyzed data from a trial in Europe by Falk Pharma on patients with Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease. Coronado Chief Executive Officer Harlan Weisman said the company was not surprised by the results, given the disappointing data from its own mid-stage study. "We believe (Trichuris suis ova) has therapeutic potential in other diseases and will continue to work diligently to advance its development for the treatment of autoimmune diseases," Weisman said in a statement. The treatment, made from eggs of the whipworm parasite found in pigs, is designed to prevent the immune system from attacking the body's tissues and organs. (Reporting by Vrinda Manocha in Bangalore; Editing by Kirti Pandey)