Biogen, Denali scrap Parkinson's drug after failure in mid-to-late stage study
Biogen and Denali Therapeutics announced Thursday they will discontinue the development of their experimental Parkinson's disease drug, BIIB122. The decision follows the drug's failure to meet its main goal in a mid-to-late stage clinical study.
The investigational drug, also known as DNL151, did not slow the progression of Parkinson's disease when compared with a placebo. This outcome meant BIIB122 missed its primary objective of delaying the worsening of symptoms, which was measured by a combined scale.
The clinical trial involved 648 patients, all diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson's disease.
Despite the primary endpoint not being met, BIIB122 did show expected biological activity during the study. The drug also demonstrated an acceptable safety profile among the participants, according to reports.
Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI) had been collaborating on the development of BIIB122. The discontinuation marks the end of the drug's journey through clinical trials.