All entries for: Discontinued Research

January 10, 2025

IGM Biosciences

Discontinued Drug, Discontinued Research, Layoffs

Mountain View, CA

201-500 employees

“Staff cuts will leave IGM Biosciences with 37 employees. The company is also halting development of two bispecific antibody T cell engagers for autoimmune diseases.
IGM Biosciences is cutting 73% of its workforce and stopping development of two autoimmune drug candidates, the biotech announced Jan. 9…

Regarding its pipeline, IGM is halting work on imvotamab and IGM-2644, bispecific antibody T cell engagers for autoimmune diseases. In the company’s announcement, IGM CEO Mary Beth Harler said interim data from Phase Ib studies of imvotamab in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus showed that the depth and consistency of B cell depletion didn’t meet the biotech’s bar for success. She noted that IGM would discontinue IGM-2644 due to strategic considerations.

The biotech is also considering its next business move so it can maximize shareholder value, in part by evaluating “internal options as well as potential strategic alternatives,” according to the release, which stated that IGM has about $183.8 million in cash and investments as of Dec. 31.”

1 Discontinued Drug: IGM-2644, bispecific antibody T cell engager for autoimmune diseases
1 Discontinued Research Program

Disease Area: Chronic Disease, Immune Diseases, Multiple

Drug Type: Biologic

Source

January 8, 2025

Galapagos - Cambridge

Discontinued Research, Layoffs

Cambridge, MA

1,001-5,000 employees

“To advance its goal of becoming a global leader in cell therapy in oncology, Galapagos plans to discontinue its small molecule discovery programs and seek potential partners to take over its small molecules’ assets, including the TYK2 inhibitor, GLPG3667, currently in Phase 2 for systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, and other potential auto-immune indications.”

2 Discontinued Research Programs

Disease Area: Chronic Disease, Immune Diseases, Multiple

Drug Type: Small Molecule

Source

December 9, 2024

Neuren Pharmaceuticals

Discontinued Drug, Discontinued Research

Camberwell, Australia

1-50 employees

At the end of 2024, Neuren Pharmaceuticals Limited announced the suspension of its Phase II open-label study of the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of oral NNZ-2591 in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS-001) due to a revised development strategy.

1 Discontinued Drug: NNZ-2591 for treatment of Prader-Willi Syndrome
1 Discontinued Research Program

Disease Area: Neurological Diseases, Rare Diseases

Drug Type: Small Molecule

Source

December 9, 2024

Epizyme

Discontinued Research

Boston, MA

51-200 employees

Epizyme, Inc. has terminated its study of tazemetostat with enzalutamide or abiraterone/prednisone in participants with advanced prostate cancer (CELLO-1) due to a sponsor decision unrelated to safety concerns.

1 Discontinued Research Program

Disease Area: Multiple, Oncology, Rare Diseases

Drug Type: Small Molecule

Source

November 14, 2024

ApcinteX

Discontinued Research

United Kingdom

1-50 employees

A study on SerpinPC for patients with severe hemophilia A or moderately severe to severe hemophilia B was terminated due to a business and strategic decision.

1 Discontinued Research Program

Disease Area: Rare Diseases

Drug Type: Small Molecule

Source

October 31, 2024

Alnylam

Discontinued Drug, Discontinued Research

Cambridge, MA

1,001-5,000 employees

“Today announced the decision to suspend further clinical development of ALN-KHK, an investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting ketohexokinase for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This decision reflects portfolio prioritization efforts to allocate clinical, managerial and financial resources carefully to bring transformative medicines to patients.”

1 Discontinued Drug: ALN-KHK (biologic)
1 Discontinued Research Program

Disease Area: Chronic Disease

Drug Type: Biologic

Source

August 2, 2024

Vir Biotechnology

Discontinued Research, Layoffs

San Francisco, CA

201-500 employees

“As part of its second-quarter business results, Vir revealed that it will no longer be continuing its work in COVID-19 and influenza, while pulling the plug on its T-cell-based viral vector platform. Instead, the biotech will restrict its virology business to its hepatitis B and D programs, allowing it to focus only on the “highest near-term value opportunities.”

“Under Vir’s strategic overhaul, the biotech will lay off 25% of its workforce, eliminating approximately 140 roles across its operations.”

“Vir now expects to close out the year with around 435 employees, which is some 200 employees fewer from its peak headcount in mid-2023.”

3 Discontinued Research Programs: COVID-19, influenza, and T-cell-based viral vector platform research programs.

Disease Area: Antiviral, Multiple, Oncology

Drug Type: Biologic, Small Molecule

Source

April 25, 2024

Bristol Myers Squibb - Princeton

Discontinued Drug, Discontinued Research

Princeton, NJ

10,001-50,000 employees

Bristol Myers Squibb will cut 6% of its workforce in a restructuring meant to save $1.5 billion in costs by the end of next year.

The layoffs will affect some 2,200 employees, the company said Thursday. It’s also trimming its pipeline of experimental medicines, consolidating its array of offices and laboratories and reducing “third party” spending…

Bristol Myers’ growth in the near term will be hampered by looming patent expirations for its two top-selling drugs: the blood thinner Eliquis, which it sells with Pfizer, and the cancer immunotherapy Opdivo. Its third highest-grossing product, the multiple myeloma treatment Revlimid, already faces limited generic competition.

Eliquis is also one of the first 10 drugs the U.S. government has targeted for price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA…

“While the IRA has an impact in the middle of the decade, we feel very good about being able to more than compensate for that with a very young and attractive growth profile coming from our … portfolio and the pipeline,” said Boerner, on a conference call with analysts.

The restructuring announced Thursday is another step, designed to prioritize products that Bristol Myers sees as having the highest potential. The company said it plans to reinvest the targeted $1.5 billion in savings in those opportunities.

Two-thirds of the savings is expected to come out of Bristol Myers’ spending on research and development. The company has discontinued 12 programs, including a successor version of its immunotherapy Yervoy, and will continue to review its pipeline through the rest of the year, Samit Hirawat, Bristol Myers’ chief medical officer, said on Thursday’s call.”

1 Discontinued Drug: Yervoy (biologic)
12 Discontinued Research Programs: Yervoy, unnamed research programs

Disease Area: Multiple, Oncology

Drug Type: Biologic, Small Molecule

Source

April 24, 2024

Roche

Discontinued Drug, Discontinued Research

Basel, Switzerland

50,001+ employees

“As for its pipeline, the pharma group disclosed in Wednesday’s earnings presentation that it had discontinued the development of four early-stage assets including camonsertinib—which was being trialed in solid tumors—and belvarafenib, which was likewise being assessed for solid tumors in combination with Genentech’s Cotellic (cobimetinib). Roche also terminated two new molecular candidates—one for colorectal cancer and one for psychiatric disorders.”

4 Discontinued Drugs: camonsertinib (small molecule), belvarafenib (small molecule), unnamed colorectal cancer drug, unnamed psychiatric disorder drug
4 Discontinued Research Programs

Disease Area: Multiple, Oncology, Psychiatry

Drug Type: Small Molecule

Source

April 24, 2024

BioMarin

Discontinued Drug, Discontinued Research, Layoffs

San Rafael, CA

1,001-5,000 employees

As a result of its prioritized portfolio, four programs will be discontinued, including BMN 331, BMN 255, BMN 355 and BMN 365. None of the programs were discontinued due to safety signals.

4 Discontinued Drugs: BMN 331 (biologic, orphan), BMN 255 (small molecule), BMN 355 (biologic), BMN 365 (biologic)
4 Discontinued Research Programs

Disease Area: Cardiology, Chronic Disease, Multiple, Rare Diseases

Drug Type: Biologic, Small Molecule

Source