Eisai sepsis drug fails in phase III
pharmafile | January 26, 2011 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Eisai, eritoran, perampanel, sepsis
A new treatment for severe sepsis could be abandoned entirely after phase III results fell short.
Eisai’s eritoran did not meet its primary endpoint of reduction in 28-day all-cause mortality in patients with severe sepsis. The company says it will continue an analysis of the data and determine next steps.
Worldwide, sepsis affects 18 million people every year. The incidence of severe sepsis in the European Union has been estimated at 90.4 cases per 100,000 population, with a mortality of 36 percent. Similarly high rates are seen in other major markets such as the US and Japan.
Eritoran had been predicted to reach sales in excess of $1 billion, and was one of the Japanese company’s leading hopes. In November Eisai faces the patent expiry of its big earner, Alzheimer’s drug Aricept around the world, including in the US.
The company has one other late-stage drug which has a more positive outlook – perampanel, a first-in-class epilepsy drug, which it expects to file with regulators by the end of 2011.
Andrew McConahgie
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