“Botched math” in calculating clinical data for an autoimmune disease drug is one of the allegations Nektar Therapeutics makes in a legal complaint against Eli Lilly. The biotech claims its former partner tried to disadvantage the asset in order to advance development of another drug it acquired in a billion dollar deal.
Bristol Myers Squibb and Nektar Therapeutics are ending a cancer drug research alliance after data showed the combination of their respective drugs failed clinical trials in kidney and bladder cancers. The disappointing results come one month after the drug combo failed a pivotal melanoma clinical trial.
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
Bristol Myers Squibb bet more than $1.8 billion that Nektar Therapeutics’ drug could be combined with the pharma giant’s Opdivo to expand the reach of that drug to more patients. The drug combination has failed its first Phase 3 in advanced melanoma; separate studies in kidney and bladder cancers are ongoing.
While there were also bright spots - like CMS' decision on CAR-T therapy - several biopharma companies experienced unrelated setbacks this week that caused their shares to tank.
In a regulatory filing, the company said that the postponement was not unique to NKTR-181, though it may result in a delay in the FDA's approval decision for the drug.
Only time will tell if a larger Phase III study will confirm data on a few dozen patients, but the two-drug combination appears to produce a higher complete response rate than than an existing doublet combination, without the associated toxicity.
