The Big Pharma axe: Merck cuts chikungunya vax, Bristol Myers drops CytomX-partnered programs, and more

02 Feb 2023
endpts.com
Phase 2VaccinePhase 1AcquisitionImmunotherapy
As fourth quarter earnings come in, Big Pharmas are disclosing changes to their pipelines during their investor calls, and sometimes more quietly in presentation appendices. Merck dropped its chikungunya vaccinechikungunya vaccine candidate, which completed a Phase II study. Merck acquired the vaccine through its purchase of Themis Bioscience in 2020. In developing a vaccine for chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus, Valneva is the frontrunner, as it submitted its vaccine to the FDA at the end of December. Merck didn’t mention this vaccine cut in its call, instead choosing to highlight its work on a Dengue vaccine candidate. The pharma company is partnering with the Instituto Butantan in Brazil on its dengue vaccine candidate, separate from its own vaccine. “We are collaborating with a team there to conduct a detailed analysis of these positive topline phase three results to determine next steps for our own dengue vaccine candidate V181, currently in phase two development. Merck’s goal is to make V181 available outside of Brazil for populations at risk for dengue,” EVP of Merck Research Laboratories Dean Li said. Merck also dropped a glioblastoma indication for Lenvima, which it had been studying in combination with Keytruda for its LEAP program. In an email, Merck told Endpoints News , “As part of our routine pipeline prioritization Merck has elected to discontinue both programs.” Bristol Myers Squibb made a number of culls — most notably two programs from its CytomX partnership on developing CTLA-4 antibodies. One of those two was a “peptide masked” version of the Yervoy, Bristol Myers’ checkpoint inhibitor that blocks CTLA-4. That candidate is still continuing in a separate Phase II solid tumors program. In addition, during its investor call, Bristol Myers said it was stopping development on its atopic dermatitis antibody cendakimab, which recently completed a Phase II study, according to clinical trials.gov . CMO Samit Hirawat commented, “In atopic dermatitis, there are several therapies that have recently become available for patients and they’re very effective. And so we had set our threshold quite high in terms of making that difference for the patients for atopic dermatitis. “So, we have seen the data, we do meet the primary endpoint, but we don’t think that it has a competitive advantage over what is available to the patients at this time,” Hirawat continued. Bristol Myers also terminated a Phase I trial for an anti-TIGIT drug in combination with immunotherapy due to toxicity issues. Hirawat said more details would be presented at a future conference. And according to its presentation, the Big Pharma cut BTK inhibitorBTK inhibitor branebrutinib, which it was studying in autoimmune diseases; an MK2 inhibitorMK2 inhibitor for ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis; as well as a Phase I STING agonistSTING agonist, among other early-stage programs. Eli Lilly and Takeda also made a handful early-stage changes, with Lilly dropping a Phase I candidate for diabetes and NASH, and Takeda cutting one for nausea and vomiting (where it still has another experimental drug in Phase I as well). Nicole DeFeudis and Beth Bulik contributed reporting.
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