Having rolled out less-than-stellar phase II data with oral TYK2 inhibitor VTX-958 in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, Ventyx Biosciences Inc. faces Wall Street speculation regarding the odds for the ongoing effort in Crohn’s disease (CD), due for an interim analysis in the first quarter of next year.
Top-line results from Moonlake Immunotherapeutics AG’s phase II study of sonelokimab treating active psoriatic arthritis encouraged the company but discouraged investors.
Among the avalanche of abstracts for the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual conference released early on Nov. 2 were data from Arcellx Inc.’s phase I study of CART-ddBCMA in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The results caught investors’ attention as the company’s stock (NASDAQ:ACLX) jumped 18.5% upward to close at $40.77 per share.
Clinical trial data from January-September 2023 was up 1.79% compared to the same time period last year. In the first three quarters of this year, BioWorld reported on 2,611 drugs in phase I-III, compared to 2,565 in Q1-Q3 2022. The number of trial updates is down 13.74% from 3,027 in 2021 and also down from the 2,738 in 2020, but up from 2,251 updates noted in 2019.
Lianbio Co. Ltd. announced mixed phase III top-line results on Oct. 30 for its in-licensed Demodex blepharitis treatment called TP-03, with the U.S. FDA-approved eyedrop hitting just one co-primary endpoint in the Libra trial on Chinese patients.
Disappointing preliminary top-line data from Kintara Therapeutics Inc.’s phase II/III study of VAL-083 (dianhydrogalactitol) is causing the company to shift its attention and resources to another cancer program. In the meantime, the results wreaked havoc on the stock and sent the company on a mission to look at its options.
Failing to meet the primary endpoint in its confirmatory phase III Embark trial, Sarepta Therapeutics Inc.’s gene therapy, Elevidys (delandistrogene moxeparvovec), which received accelerated approval in June and was priced at $3.2 million, has one of three fates in its future, all of which are dependent on how the U.S. FDA perceives the data. Based on secondary endpoints showing statistical significance and a recent positive meeting with the agency, Sarepta could continue to market Elevidys under its current label for 4- and 5-year-old ambulatory Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients; Sarepta is filing the postmarketing requirement needed to transition from accelerated to full approval.
With Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s positive top-line data in hand from the pivotal phase III study called Motion, Wall Street speculation turned to the comparative safety and regulatory odds for vimseltinib (which analysts often refer to as “vim”) in patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) not amenable to surgery.
The pivotal phase III study of brilaroxazine from Reviva Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. for adults with schizophrenia hit its primary endpoint and two key secondary endpoints, following positive phase II data in 2021. The serotonin-dopamine signaling modulator, the company’s lead candidate, is a once-daily treatment. Results from the study showed brilaroxazine demonstrated reductions in all major symptom domains for the patients and the secondary endpoints at week 4 when comparing the 50-mg dose with placebo.
Oncolys Biopharma Inc.’s lead compound Telomelysin (suratadenoturev, OBP-301) met the primary endpoint of exceeding the predefined threshold of local complete response, confirming clinical benefit in a phase II study in locally advanced esophageal cancer combined with radiation.