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Sanofi Ceases Development of Glenmark’s Multiple Sclerosis Drug Due to Efficacy Concerns

by Reshma Anand on Oct 31 2015 2:52 PM

Sanofi Ceases Development of Glenmark’s Multiple Sclerosis Drug Due to Efficacy Concerns
After facing safety issues during the phase- II trial of a multiple sclerosis (MS) drug, the French drug maker Sanofi has stopped its development. Vatelizumab is the drug that was first developed by the Indian Pharmaceutical company, Glenmark.
Sanofi obtained the license for that drug from Glenmark in a $600 million deal in 2011. This was the first licensing deal for a original product by Glenmark.

The drug was developed as a potential treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. But the drug failed to reach the desired level of efficacy in a mid-stage trial.

“Sanofi’s decision was not due to any safety concerns, we will continue to pursue the relicensing of GBR 500 after it’s returned from Sanofi,” said Glenmark.

The drug candidate is believed to block VLA-2 on activated immune cells, leading to interference with collagen-binding in areas of inflammation and thus may reduce the inflammatory cascade in MS, reasoned Glenmark and Genzyme, a Sanofi company.

Source-Medindia


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