By Robb M. Stewart
Evommune's trial of a prospective therapy to treat chronic inflammatory diseases didn't hit the main goal it its latest trial, though the biotechnology company said it will continue work testing it for other indications.
Evommune said Monday a Phase 2b study of oral antagonist EVO756 in adults with moderate-to-severe chronic spontaneous urticaria didn't meet the primary endpoint of mean change in a patient's urticaria activity score over seven days at 12 weeks at any dose.
The news weighed heavily on the company's shares, sending them down 29% in premarket trading to $18. That eats into a 47% year-to-date jump for the stock as of Friday's close.
The trial evaluating efficacy and safety enrolled 160 moderate-to-severe antihistamine-refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria patients in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Japan. Participants received one of three active dose regimens or placebo. The lack of efficacy doesn't support further development of EV0756 for chronic spontaneous urticaria, the company said.
Eugene Bauer, chief medical officer of Evommune, said the Phase 2b trial did confirm safe and well-tolerated doses of EVO756 that warrant further studies in additional indications.
The company said it remains on track to report top-line Phase 2b data for EVO756 in atopic dermatitis in the third quarter, and it also initiated screening in a Phase 2b trial of EVO756 in migraine prophylaxis and expects patient dosing to begin soon.
Write to Robb M. Stewart at [email protected]