Lexipafant(BB-882), A Potent PAF Antagonist in Acute Pancreatitis

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis remains a poorly understood and hence unsatisfactorily treated condition¹. In general this is a mild self-limiting disease, which resolves within days and can be managed with non-specific supportive measures and analgesia. In about 25% of cases, however, the disease becomes severe, (defined as pancreatitis associated with organ failure or a local complication such as abscess, pseudocyst or necrosis²). It is this severe group that accounts for much of the morbidity and mortality of the disease. The overall mortality is reported at about 8–10%³, and this occurs almost exclusively in those with severe disease. Published series have shown that organ failure and particularly respiratory failure are the most common complications.