Worldwide phase IIb trials of a drug designed to provide an alternative treatment option for patients suffering from mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis are to be launched, it has been revealed.

The condition causes the bowel to become inflamed and can vary in severity, with some patients having to live with repeated flare-ups for a number of years.

Now, the effectiveness and safety of a new drug, called HMPL-004, are to be examined at 50 centres in Europe and North America, Hutchison MediPharma revealed today.

Dr Samantha Du, chief scientific officer for Chi-Med and managing director of Hutchison MediPharma, said she hoped the drug would "provide an alternative and effective oral treatment".

Some 210 patients are expected to be enrolled into the trial and are to be divided into three groups, receiving either a 1,200 milligram or 1,800 milligram dose of HMPL-004 or a placebo.

After eight weeks, researchers intend to compare how the new drug performed against the placebo medication.

Masters can help institutions conducting clinical trials to obtain comparator drugs and is capable of turning around requests within just 24 hours.