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Actelion To Start Late Stage Trial With PGI2 By End-2009

By Julia Mengewein, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

ZURICH -(Dow Jones)- Swiss biotech firm Actelion Ltd. (ATLN.VX) said Friday it plans to start late-stage trials for its compound PGI2, a potential treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension, by the end of the year after the compound proved safe and effective in a phase II trial.

"This efficacy with good tolerability makes us determined to accelerate our development program," Chief Executive Jean-Paul Clozel said in a statement.

Pulmonary hypertension, or PAH, is a rare blood vessel disorder of the lung.

Actelion generates the bulk of its revenue with Tracleer, a pill against PAH and also offers the drug Ventavis, which PAH patients inhale. In 2008, Tracleer generated sales of CHF1.29 billion and Ventavis CHF94.6 million.

Actelion shares have lost 4.2% in the year to date, while the Stoxx Europe 600 healthcare index has shed around 3.4% of its value. Investors have been reluctant to buy into the stock, as the company has four late stage trials running that are expected to generate share-moving data in the second half of 2009.

Thursday, Actelion shares closed at CHF56.90.

Company Web site: www.actelion.com

-By Julia Mengewein, Dow Jones Newswires; +41 43 443 80 45, julia.mengewein@ dowjones.com.

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