Lundbeck starts Phase III trial for stroke drug

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish pharmaceutical group Lundbeck (LUN.CO) said on Wednesday it started a Phase III trial with ischemic stroke drug desmoteplase.

The drug, derived from vampire bat saliva, failed in a previous major study, but researches said that study was flawed because a high percentage of the patients enrolled did not have a blood clot in the main brain arteries for desmoteplase to dissolve.

The new trial will have two phases with 320 patients each. The company did not say when results would be published.

(Reporting by Gelu Sulugiuc)