This morning ChemoCentryx ($CCXI) reported that GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK) has returned all rights to the Crohn's drug vercirnon, a day after the pharma giant confirmed to FierceBiotech that it had shuttered the three remaining late-stage studies it had mounted for the program. And while the Mountain View, CA-based biotech put the best spin on the news it could, touting the potential for finding a new partner and mounting a new trial, it's likely to experience some major headwinds after GlaxoSmithKline highlighted serious side effects seen at the high doses of the drug as well as a clear lack of efficacy.
In a Sept. 12 update on the clinical trial registry Clinicaltrials.gov, the slate of Phase III studies dubbed SHIELD 1, 2 and 3 were all listed as terminated, though the biotech did not disclose that at the time. The last official word from ChemoCentryx came on the news a few weeks ago that the first Phase III study had failed, noting that GlaxoSmithKline was still reviewing the data before deciding how to proceed.
"No efficacy was observed with either dose of vercirnon over 12 weeks in SHIELD-1," noted a GlaxoSmithKline spokesperson yesterday. In addition, dose-dependent increases in rates of adverse events (AEs), gastrointestinal AEs, and cardiac AEs, including two cardiac serious AEs in the 500 mg twice daily group, were observed. Those findings have reduced the benefit to risk profile of vercirnon and don't support the continued treatment of the study patients."
Glaxo inked a $1.5 billion deal--$63.5 million upfront--with ChemoCentryx back in 2006 to explore new drugs for inflammatory bowel disease.
ChemoCentryx CEO Thomas Schall, though, said he was pleased today.
"We are pleased to have a response from GSK which gives us certainty that vercirnon now returns entirely to
- here's the press release