Disaster for Addex?

How many companies have a potential blockbuster in development only to see those plans derailed by negative late stage testing results? The list is long and exhausting, but Addex really hit bottom with its phase III study of a potential blockbuster GERD treatment. Addex was all ready to make marketing deals when it pulled the plug any further development of its prime candidate: ADX10059 after recent studies indicated potentially serious elevations of liver enzymes in a number of patients exposed to the medication. Addex obviously did what it could to palliate the damage by talking about its other pipeline products, but the damage has already been done. I would stay away from the company for a while until the dust settles, but Addex does have a reasonable pipeline and will likely bounce back.

See the Addex press release here

Addex Pipeline

The bad news continues for Gilead as they announced that a phase III study of its new hypertension drug, darusentan, missed primary endpoints. However secondary endpoints were achieved, but it remains nebulous as to what degree Gilead will pursue additional development of darusentan. I would wager that future late stage studies could be in the cards because the drug is being developed for resistant hypertension and some clever statistics could make even a small improvement over placebo seem relevant (not to mention that any treatment for this type of hypertension would be a good thing).

Gilead Release

Finally, a few quick news briefs:

Here's a nice article on wheelings and dealings in the biotech world

Sanofi Pasteur recalled a number of its pediatric H1N1 vaccines due to a reported lack of effectiveness of the vaccines themselves, not in the response of the patients to the vaccine. I wonder if any of this has shown up in the adult version of the shot...