Zealand Pharma shares fell about 4% in Thursday trading after new Phase 2 results for its Roche-partnered obesity drug petrelintide showed encouraging weight loss but a modest improvement in blood sugar control. It’s the second positive trial readout that has failed to reassure investors in the course of a week.
Argenx is stopping its Phase 3 UNITY trial of efgartigimod in Sjögren’s disease after an interim analysis showed the study could not meet its primary endpoint. Shares fell about 18% in Euronext Brussels trading following the announcement, overshadowing positive Phase 2 results for its recently acquired celiac disease drug FB102.
Genmab’s rinatabart sesutecan (Rina-S) delivered durable responses in a Phase 2 trial in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, providing encouraging validation for the centerpiece of its $1.8 billion acquisition of ProfoundBio.
Amsterdam-based Amplio Pharma has reported early clinical evidence that its experimental treatment NovoBioJect boosts the active form of methotrexate inside immune cells. The company is seeking about €10 million to test whether the approach improves disease control in rheumatoid arthritis.
Spain’s Highlight Therapeutics reported that its lead candidate, BO-112, met its Phase 2b endpoint in localized basal cell carcinoma, with 61% of evaluable patients achieving a response.
Boehringer Ingelheim’s survodutide delivered average weight loss of up to 13.1% in a Phase 3 trial involving people with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes, but gastrointestinal side effects caused 18% of patients receiving the drug to stop treatment.
Swedish biotech Atrogi says its oral drug ATR-258 increased lower-extremity muscle power by about 13% after eight weeks in a study of 13 people with overweight or obesity. Participants also lost an average of 1.1 kg of fat mass and gained 0.8 kg of lean mass.
uniQure’s shares fell about 40% in early trading on September 29 after its Huntington’s gene therapy missed statistical significance on the main disease progression measure after four years. The Dutch biotech reported continued slowing of decline with AMT-130, but the update complicates the durability picture as the company seeks regulatory approval.
Roche’s sefaxersen significantly reduced proteinuria in a Phase 3 IgA nephropathy (IgAN) trial, but the Swiss pharma stopped short of disclosing the size of the effect.
Agomab Therapeutics’ inhaled idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) drug AGMB-447 showed lung-restricted exposure and inhibited its intended target in its first patient trial. The company plans to move the ALK5 inhibitor into phase 2 before the end of the year.