Cerecor announces initiation of second CERC-501 Phase II clinical trial in smokers

Cerecor has announced that Dr Sherry McKee from Yale University has enrolled the first subject in the Phase II clinical trial for CERC-501, “Does CERC-501 Attenuate Stress-Related Smoking Lapse?” The study is a collaborative effort between Cerecor and Dr McKee and is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). “Stress is a primary contributor to the maintenance of, and relapse to, smoking, and targeting stress-related relapse as a medication development strategy is a critical, yet relatively unexplored area of research,” says Dr McKee. "Preclinical findings suggest that the kappa opioid receptor system is involved in stress-induced relapse to tobacco and we anticipate that a receptor antagonist, such as CERC-501, has the potential to be of therapeutic benefit.”