Phase II trials of a new drug designed to treat patients suffering with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) have been launched.

LifeCycle Pharma said that LCP-Tacro will be tested at a maximum of 12 centres in the US and Canada, with around 60 patients expected to take part.

Some participants will receive a once-a–day dose of the new medication alongside prednisone while others will receive the current standard treatment regime of azathioprine combined with prednisone.

The results will then be compared to "evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability" of the LCP-Tacro tablets.

If the trials go well, it could prove to be a useful alternative to azathioprine for patients with the disease, which can cause severe health problems if it is not treated.

According to a paper published in Journal Watch Gastroenterology last year, around 20 per cent of patients with AIH do not tolerate azathioprine well or find it ineffective.

Masters can help researchers conducting clinical trials obtain comparator drugs by sourcing medications from suppliers across the world.

It can also distribute drugs still be studied to healthcare providers who have patients for whom existing treatments are unsuitable.