Teva has given up on a key trial of one of its original lineup of innovative medicines.
The drug in question, a small molecule called emrusolmin, has been in Teva’s pipeline for a few years as the company evaluated its potential to treat a rare neurodegenerative disorder called multiple system atrophy (MSA). A major test was meant to be a phase 2 study of 350 patients that kicked off in 2024.
The trial was due to wrap up next year, but Teva disclosed Monday morning, Nov. 2 that the study’s independent data monitoring committee had suggested abandoning the trial due to a “low probability of the study meeting its primary efficacy endpoint if continued.”
No safety concerns were observed in the study, the company noted.
While that trial had turned out to be a dud, Teva isn’t ready to give up on emrusolmin quite yet. Instead, the company will review the study data before making a final call. Teva has been developing emrusolmin in partnership with the German biotech Modag.
“While we are disappointed by the outcome of this interim analysis for the phase 2 study, we remain deeply committed to learning everything we can from these data,” Teva’s Chief Medical Officer Eric Hughes, M.D., Ph.D., said in the release.
“We are deeply grateful to the patients, families, investigators and study teams who contributed their time and commitment to this research,” Hughes added. “Our hope is that the science and learnings can deepen our understanding of MSA and help us determine a path forward for emrusolmin.”
Teva began to ramp up its transformation from a pure-play generics giant to a genuine developer of innovative medicines a few years ago. When Teva launched the phase 2 study in 2024, emrusolmin was a key pillar of that strategy, alongside the long-acting injectable formulation of the nearly two-decade-old antipsychotic olanzapine and the anti-TL1A antibody duvakitug.
But while duvakitug and olanzapine continue to be star players in Teva’s innovative medicines roster, emrusolmin didn’t earn a mention in the company’s most recent round-up.
Where Big Pharma is placing its bets is one of the hot topics being discussed at Fierce Biotech's high-impact event in London next month. Find out more information and register by clicking on the banner below:
