Summit Pharma axes Duchenne drug after Phase 2 failures
pharmafile | June 28, 2018 | News story | Research and Development | Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Summit Pharmaceuticals, pharma, trial failure
Summit Therapeutics has revealed it is to terminate development of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) drug ezutromid after it failed to achieve its primary or secondary endpoints in a Phase 2 trial after 48 weeks of treatment.
The University of Oxford spin-out saw 80% of its share value stripped away after it announced the news. Specifically, the utrophin modulator failed to affect a positive change from baseline in magnetic resonance parameters related to the leg muscles – the trial’s primary endpoint – or biopsy measures evaluating utrophin and muscle damage – it’s secondary endpoint.
It was also announced that the termination of further development will be accompanied by “cost reduction measures” as the company shifts its focus onto its portfolio of new mechanism antibiotics; it’s lead candidate, ridinilazole, is projected to enter Phase 3 trials in the first quarter of next year for the treatment of C. difficile infection.
“These data come as a great disappointment to us and to all those living with DMD,” said Glyn Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of Summit. “While we believe utrophin modulation could still have a place in the treatment of DMD, it is clear that ezutromid is not providing a benefit for patients. We therefore feel that our resources are better focussed on the development of our promising pipeline of new mechanism antibiotics.
“We sincerely thank the patients, families and clinical trial sites involved in all of the ezutromid clinical trials for their commitment to advancing research in DMD. We hope that the information we have gathered can ultimately be used to benefit ongoing research in DMD,” he added.
Matt Fellows
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