AstraZeneca's (AZN) potential blockbuster lupus treatment failed in a late-stage study, the Cambridge, England-based drugmaker said Friday.
XPatients with moderate-to-severe lupus received the drug, called anifrolumab, or a placebo over the course of the yearlong study. But anifrolumab-treated patients didn't show a statistically significant reduction in disease activity.
The news is a blow to AstraZeneca's effort to add another blockbuster to its portfolio. Leerink analyst Seamus Fernandez had called for anifrolumab to bring in $10 million in sales in 2018, growing to $1.08 billion in 2026.
It's also a disappointment to the lupus community, AstraZeneca Chief Medical Officer Sean Bohen said in a written statement. There are an estimated 5 million people who have a form of lupus. AstraZeneca tested anifrolumab in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE.
"SLE is a debilitating autoimmune disease with unmet need among patients who struggle to achieve meaningful disease control," he said. "The result of this trial is disappointing for patients and the lupus community."
Hopes For Lupus Treatment
Analysts had high hopes for the drug. Jefferies analyst Ian Hilliker, in April, had listed data from the Phase 3 study of anifrolumab as a key catalyst for AstraZeneca in the latter half of the year. Leerink's Fernandez had called it "an underappreciated asset in lupus," in a July report.
The potential lupus treatment aimed to block an interferon receptor in the immune system involved in inflammation. It had positive results in an earlier-stage study. Researchers believed it had the potential to target 60%-80% of adult lupus patients.
Traditional lupus treatment can include immune system-suppressing drugs like those used in chemotherapy, corticosteroids and several branded drugs.
Full results from the Phase 3 study will be available later this year.
On the stock market today, AstraZeneca stock dipped 1.5%, to 38.34. Shares broke out of a flat base with a buy point at 37.40 in mid-July. As of Friday's close, the stock was about 2.5% extended from that entry.
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The post AstraZeneca's Potential Blockbuster Lupus Drug Fails In Late-Stage Test appeared first on Investor's Business Daily.
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