Sanofi is deprioritizing a mid-stage treatment for a form of dwarfism and culling three other early-stage studies.
The French pharma deprioritized a Phase 2 drug that it was testing to treat achondroplasia less than a year after the trial got underway, according to a second-quarter earnings presentation released Thursday. The open-label study of SAR442501 aimed to recruit 36 patients at sites outside of the US, including in Australia, China and Spain.
Sanofi also discontinued an mRNA-based quadrivalent combo vaccine for flu that was in Phase 1. It is instead focusing on a similar option that has an “enhanced mRNA formulation.” In addition, it’s reassessing a gene therapy for phenylketonuria in Phase 1 that came from a Genzyme-era pact with MediciNova and a transforming growth factor β-targeting medicine for osteogenesis imperfecta.
“We are continuing the studies until the end,” a company spokesperson said. “In due time, we will discuss and determine the next course of action to the benefit of patients, potentially with third parties.”
During an investor call on Thursday, Sanofi executives said they are expecting several critical data readouts in the second half of the year, including from BTK inhibitor, tolebrutinib, in two Phase 3 multiple sclerosis trials. They declined to specify the timing of the readouts in the call with investors but said they are encouraged by tolebrutinib’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
“We’ll find out when we get the results whether that is applicable to the readouts in the studies, and we’ll see when that differentiation holds,” CEO Paul Hudson said on the call.