Emmaus Announces Initiation of its Diverticulosis Study

Emmaus Life Sciences announced the screening of the first patient for the company's Pilot/Phase 1 study on the treatment of diverticulosis with pharmaceutical-grade L-glutamine (PGLG). The study will utilize the same PGLG oral powder used in Endari® to evaluate change in the number and size of colonic diverticula and assess safety in a total of ten patients at multiple study sites.

"Commencement of this trial is an important step to a potential new treatment specific for diverticulosis, as we are not aware of approved drugs for this condition," said Yutaka Niihara, MD, MPH, Chairman and CEO of Emmaus. "This is also a key milestone for Emmaus as we continue to broaden our research pipeline."

Emmaus has issued patents related to compositions including PGLG and methods involving administration of PGLG for the treatment of diverticulosis in the U.S., Japan, Australia, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Korea and Russia. 

Diverticulosis, or the presence of colonic diverticula (i.e., pouches in the colon wall), is very common in industrialized nations, with its prevalence increasing with age. An estimated 40% of 60 year-olds and 70% of 80 year-olds in the U.S. have diverticulosis. Of these patients, 10% to 25% can be expected to develop diverticulitis, the advancement of peridiverticular inflammation and infection, resulting in abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, fever, and leukocytosis (i.e., abnormally high white blood cell count).

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