Roche Drops Muscle Disease Drug After Trial Failure
Bengaluru: Roche has stopped developing its experimental drug for two rare muscle diseases after it failed to show meaningful benefits, the Swiss drugmaker said in community letters.
In the letters, dated March 19, the company said it would no longer pursue the drug, emugrobart, for spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, known as FSHD.
Both the conditions are rare genetic diseases that cause progressive muscle weakness and can severely limit a person's ability to walk and carry out daily tasks.
Emugrobart is designed to block myostatin, a protein that naturally limits muscle growth.
Roche said the drug showed a favorable safety profile and reduced mature myostatin levels, but this did not translate into meaningful gains in muscle growth or function across study participants.
The results were not strong or consistent enough to move into late-stage trials, the company said.
In SMA, emugrobart was tested in combination with risdiplam and compared against risdiplam alone, while in FSHD it was tested against a placebo.
The mid-stage trial development of emugrobart for obesity, however, will continue as planned, Roche said.
Also Read: Roche Expands AI Capabilities with 2,100+ Nvidia Chips to Accelerate Drug Development
Disclaimer: This website is primarily for healthcare professionals. The content here does not replace medical advice and should not be used as medical, diagnostic, endorsement, treatment, or prescription advice. Medical science evolves rapidly, and we strive to keep our information current. If you find any discrepancies, please contact us at corrections@medicaldialogues.in. Read our Correction Policy here. Nothing here should be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We do not endorse any healthcare advice that contradicts a physician's guidance. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Advertisement Policy. For more details, read our Full Disclaimer here.
NOTE: Join us in combating medical misinformation. If you encounter a questionable health, medical, or medical education claim, email us at factcheck@medicaldialogues.in for evaluation.