Good news, and some not-so-good news from 4D pharma

The AIM-traded pharmaceutical company, with a focus on the development of live biotherapeutics, said recruitment for the Blautic phase one trial had now been completed.

4D said it hoped that further data from the trial, involving 56 healthy volunteers and IBS patients, would be available in April.

The company's Thetanix phase one trial in paediatric Crohn's disease, which was scheduled to begin dosing on 1 March, had now been delayed due to quality concerns.

4D said the concerns came to light at one of its supply partners during manufacture of an additional batch of Thetanix, and the decision to delay was a precautionary measure.

The firm was working to resolve the issue, and the dosing of patients was anticipated to commence after an investigation had taken place, which was expected to take around a month.

"Although we are eager to progress our phase 1 trial in paediatric Crohn's disease, we have taken the precautionary measure of delaying the dosing of patients until our investigation has been completed," said chief scientific officer Dr Alex Stevenson.

"Importantly all our other programmes are unaffected by this issue, and we remain on track to deliver new programmes into the clinic in 2016," Stevenson added.