Phase II
The discontinuation comes after the investigational drug, volenrelaxin, failed a related heart failure study in an overlapping patient population.
It’s been a rocky few months for BioAge Labs, which shuttered a Phase II trial of its lead candidate azelaprag Tuesday after the molecule caused liver-based side effects.
The results, which come on the heels of the FDA’s approval of J&J’s esketamine nasal spray Spravato as a monotherapy for treatment-resistant depression, could serve to further bolster a space hit hard by the rejection of Lykos’ MDMA-based PTSD therapy in August 2024.
After missing the primary endpoint in the Phase IIb SYMMETRY trial, Akero Therapeutics’ lead molecule, efruxifermin, showed greater improvements after 96 weeks of treatment in an advanced disease population.
Patients taking Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy plus Veru’s enobosarm saw 71% lower lean mass loss than those who were taking Wegovy alone but investors await more data.
Riding recent momentum in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy space, Capricor Therapeutics, Wave Life Sciences, Regenxbio and more aim to deliver the next wave of progress with near-term data and regulatory milestones.
The readout comes on the heels of CagriSema’s disappointing Phase III performance, where it missed Novo’s projection of 25% weight reduction.
Taken together with Keros’ recent pivot away from obesity, the termination of its pulmonary arterial hypertension study could lead to a “difficult path ahead” for Keros, according to Guggenheim analysts.
Obesity continues to grab attention at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, with both Pfizer and Kailera Therapeutics outlining their plans in the space moving forward.
Emraclidine was the centerpiece of AbbVie’s $8.7 billion acquisition of Cerevel in December 2023 but failed two mid-stage trials. Tavapadon, meanwhile, has been a more rewarding asset for the pharma, clearing three Phase III Parkinson’s studies in 2024.
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