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Teva drops MS and Huntington’s disease drug laquinimod, leaving rights to Active Biotech

pharmafile | September 6, 2018 | News story | Medical Communications, Research and Development Active Biotech, Laquinimod, Teva, pharma 

Israeli multinational Teva Pharmaceutical has decided to discontinue the development of laquinimod. As such, all rights for the orally administered drug will revert to Swedish company Active Biotech.

Nevertheless, Helén Tuvesson, CEO of Active Biotech, said that: “we will assess all opportunities for a continuation of the development of laquinimod.”

Teva’s decision comes after laquinimod failed to meet its primary endpoint mid-stage LEGATO-HD trial which was investigating the drug for use in the treatment of Huntington’s disease. Meanwhile the drug also failed to meet its primary endpoint in a 2017 trial looking into the drug for use in treating patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Despite the poor results Active remain adamant that the drug could be effective noting that it has shown consistent effect on both relapse related endpoints and MRI parameters in RRMS, as well as a “pronounced effect” on brain atrophy in both RRMS and HD patients.

Tuvesson suggested that the data “supports our belief in the potential of laquinimod as a possible treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, a disease area where the medical need remains high.”

Louis Goss

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