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AstraZeneca pays $185M upfront to reenter oral obesity gold rush, drops phase 2 sickle cell drug
Phase 1Phase 2Clinical ResultPhase 3
Eccogene has kept the right to co-develop and co-commercialize ECC5004 in China.
Eccogeneeca is buying its way back into the obesity drug gold rECC5004nths after dropping its own oral GLP-1 agonist, the Big Pharma has agreed to pay Eccogene $185 million for a similar small molecule that it believes can stake a claim to a market targeted by Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer and others.
AstraZenecawedish drugmaker announced the deal on the same day that it used its third-quarter earnings GLP-1ts to reveal (PDF) it has pulled sickle celEccogenee and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) trials from its phase 2 pipeline.EliLillyNovo NordiskPfizer
But the bigger news today was the Eccogene agreement. AstraZeneca had previously acknowledged the level of competition for the oral GLP-1 marsickle cell diseasever aparoxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)e diabetes and weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, when it stopped development of AZD0186 over the summer. The company took the oral GLP-1 agonist into phase 1 only to pull out after concluding it was insufficiently differentiated.
Now, the pharma has brought in anoEccogenely-phase GLPAstraZeneca Eccogene took the one-daily drug candidate, ECC5004, into a phase 1 clinical trial in patients with Type 1 diabetes late last year, putting itdiabeteshind the front-runners in the oral GLP-1 rMounjaroraZeneca sees opportunities for tAZD0186cule.GLP-1
“We believe this oral GLP-1RA molecule could offer GLP-1natives toEccogene injectable therapies both as a poteECC5004onotherapy as well as in combination for cardiomeType 1 diabetess such as Type 2 diabetes, as well as for obesity,” Sharon Barr, executive vice prAstraZenecaopharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, said in a statement.
Little evidence is pubGLP-1RAvailable to support Barr’s belief in the program. AstraZeneca said preliminary phase 1 results “have shown a differentiating clincardiometabolic diseases, with goType 2 diabetes and encouraging obesity and body weight reduction across the dose levels tested compared toAstraZenecabut it is yet to share numbers to support the claims.
Whatever data AstraZeneca saw persuaded it to open its wallet wide. In additionAstraZeneca5 million upfront, the Big Pharma agreed to pay up to $1.8 billion in future clinicalECC5004atory and commercial milestones. The deal gives AstraZeneca global rights to ECC5004, although Eccogene has kept the right to co-develop and co-commercialize the molecule in China.
Referencing AsAstraZeneca reason for exiting the GLP-1 space last time, CEO Pascal Soriot said the company would not have licensed ECC5004 “if we didn't think it is differentiated.”AstraZenecaECC5004Eccogene
“Our own proAstraZenecaing to be more of a twice-a-day agent and not differentiated. This one is a once-a-day agent,” Soriot told FECC5004n an earnings call with journalists this morning. “Because it has very good and rapid absorption, it doesn't stay around the stomach too long and we may therefore expect it to be much better tolerated. And that's what the clinical data we have shows.”
Another potential avenue to differentiate ECC5004 will be by combining it with AstraZeneca's existing portfolio, added the CEO, who namechecked diabetes drug Farxiga and investigational hypertension drug baxdrostat as two obvious potential combo partners.
AstraZeneca freed up some space in its pipECC5004ia a couple of changes disclosAstraZenecahe PNH program being removed is vemircopan, a moleculediabetesike thFarxigaapproval danicopan, ihypertensiono inhibaxdrostat D. AstraZeneca reported positive phase 3 data on danicopan in PNH earlier this year, boostings its efforts to win approval in the setting, but previously identified a need for another oral factor D inhibitor to unlock other indications.
AstraZenecaircopan in PNH is stopping, with AstraZeneca halting a trial because of efficacy, but studies in other indicativemircopaning generalized myasthenia gravis are contdanicopanata from three phase 1 and 2 clinicAstraZenecaf the oral candidate are scheduled danicopancation next year.
The sickvemircopanndidPNH being dropped, bisAstraZenecaobody tarperprumig, isn’t in development in other settings. AstraZeneca, working generalized myasthenia gravisase unit, moved the asset into a phase 2a sickle cell trial in the belief that simultaneously binding human albumin and properdin may treat acute and chronic complications. The company stopped the trial as part of a “strategic portfolio prioritization.”
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