6 February 2019 - - US-based contract research organisation Pharm-Olam is enrolling patients in the US and Europe into a pivotal Phase III study within the treatment of short bowel syndrome, the company said.

Initiated in early October 2018, the study is a placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind clinical trial with fixed-dose injections.

The trial is being conducted at approximately 40 investigational sites in the United States, Canada, and Europe and will ultimately enroll 129 patients with SBS.

Because people with SBS often cannot absorb enough nutrients, the trial will help determine if parenteral support volume can be reduced.

Zealand Pharma is developing a long-acting GLP-2 analog in an auto-injector with potential for convenient weekly administration, which has been granted orphan status by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Pharm-Olam is  a global, midsized CRO that offers personalised clinical solutions to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life science companies.

Zealand Pharma A/S (NASDAQ: ZEAL) is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of innovative peptide-based medicines.

More than 10 drug candidates invented by Zealand have advanced into clinical development, of which two have reached the market. Zealand's current pipeline of internal product candidates focus on specialty gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases.

Zealand's portfolio also includes two clinical license collaborations with Boehringer Ingelheim. Zealand Pharma is based in Copenhagen (Glostrup), Denmark.