ION-859

Biogen ousted cemdomespib alongside three phase 1 assets. \n Biogen is continuing to thin its pipeline, dropping a phase 2 program acquired in the $7.3 billion Reata Pharmaceuticals buyout and kicking early-stage Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s prospects into touch.The big biotech used its fourth quarter results to reveal (PDF) it is ending the development of four molecules, one phase 2 prospect in diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain and three phase 1 neurodegenerative disease programs. Priya Singhal, M.D., head of development of Biogen, discussed the thinking behind the cuts on the company’s earnings call Wednesday.“We have previously discussed our efforts to augment our pipeline with the objective of rebalancing the risk profile and investing to win in key areas of expected future growth. As a result, we have focused our development efforts on a smaller set of clinical-stage programs that we believe are high conviction and well positioned to deliver a regular cadence of pivotal readouts and potential launches,” Singhal said.BIIB143, also known as cemdomespib, was the most advanced asset to get the chop. Biogen acquired the Hsp90 modulator in 2023 through its buyout of Reata, a deal that centered on the FDA-approved Skyclarys. Reata took the molecule into a phase 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain trial weeks after accepting Biogen’s buyout bid. The trial is set to wrap up in August 2026, according to ClinicalTrials.gov, but Biogen has already seen enough to call time on the program.The big biotech ousted cemdomespib alongside three phase 1 assets. An oral small molecule designed to treat early Alzheimer’s by stopping tau aggregation led the early-phase discontinuations. Biogen finished a phase 1 trial of the drug candidate, BIIB113, in 2023. Work on another tau-focused treatment of early Alzheimer’s, the phase 2 antisense oligonucleotide BIIB080, is continuing.In early Parkinson’s, Biogen stopped the development of the Ionis-partnered BIIB094. The antisense oligonucleotide targets LRRK2, reflecting evidence that gain-of-function mutations in the gene are the most common genetic cause of Parkinson’s. Biogen retains an interest in treating Parkinson’s by targeting LRRK2, with BIIB122, an inhibitor of the protein, remaining in the biotech’s phase 2 pipeline.Finally, Biogen brought an end to the development of BIIB101 in multiple system atrophy. The antisense oligonucleotide, another product of Biogen’s work with Ionis, targets alpha-synuclein. Insoluble forms of alpha-synuclein accumulate in the brains of multiple system atrophy patients, leading Biogen to identify the protein as a driver of neurodegeneration.