Ritter Pharmaceuticals Inc. said its lactose intolerance treatment RP-G28 failed to significantly reduce symptoms of the disorder compared to placebo in a late-stage study.
Lactose intolerance is a digestive disorder where patients are unable to produce enough of a certain enzyme required to digest lactose, the main carbohydrate in dairy products.
The Los Angeles-based pharmaceutical company was evaluating the drug for a reduction in symptoms of lactose intolerance, including abdominal pain, cramping, bloating and gas during the phase 3 trial. RP-G28 failed to perform better than the placebo.
Additionally, RP-G28 did not provide any meaningful treatment benefit as only 36.2% of patients who received the drug saw a reduction in their lactose intolerance, compared to 34.1% of the patients in the placebo group.
Ritter Pharmaceuticals CEO Andrew Ritter said the company is assessing a path forward, which may include alternative strategic options.
The company raised $6 million from a private placement of convertible preferred shares in November 2018 for the late-stage development of RP-G28. Ritter, which develops therapies for gastrointestinal diseases, received a noncompliance notice from the Nasdaq in December 2018 for failing to meet the exchange's $1 minimum bid price listing rule.
