By Ludwig Burger
FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Swiss drugmaker Roche said on Monday that a late-stage trial testing its multiple sclerosis drug candidate fenebrutinib against the relapsing form of the disease achieved its primary goal.
Fenebrutinib was shown to significantly reduce the annualised relapse rate when compared with teriflunomide, also known as Aubagio, over a period of at least 96 weeks of treatment, the company said in a statement.
In a separate study, Roche’s drug candidate was shown to be at least as effective as its own Ocrevus drug in delaying the progression of primary progressive multiple sclerosis, the company said.
Fenebrutinib belongs to a class of compounds known as Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, where Sanofi is also a contestant in a development race that has seen trial setbacks by other drugmakers.
The class of drugs is designed to selectively block the harmful autoimmune reaction behind MS for a more targeted approach than standard immunosuppressant therapy.
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Jamie Freed)
Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
