Sanofi’s next-generation asthma drug disappoints in trial

Sanofi’s next-generation experimental asthma drug failed to significantly reduce flare-ups in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma, dimming hopes it could help offset the patent expiry of its blockbuster Dupixent. 

The French drugmaker said amlitelimab didn’t meet the mid-stage trial’s primary endpoint of reducing flare-ups at its highest dose level and showed “nominal significance” at the medium and low doses. 

Shares of Sanofi fell 1.1% in early trading Tuesday. The stock is up 5% in the 12 months through Monday’s close. 

Still, the French drugmaker is set to continue to test the drug in late stage trials after seeing clinically meaningful improvement in lung function and asthma control, and a notable reduction in flare ups, in a certain sub-group of patients. 

“If the preliminary effect we have seen is confirmed in phase 3 studies, amlitelimab could become a differentiated treatment option in asthma,” said Houman Ashrafian, Sanofi’s head of research and development in a statement. 

The drug is also being tested as a treatment for the skin condition atopic dermatitis, where it has shown positive results. 

Amlitelimab has previously been described as a “pipeline-in-a-product” by Jefferies’ analyst Benjamin Jackson. The drug could be key to offset the expiry of Sanofi’s approved asthma and skin drug Dupixent, he said in a note last year.