Swiss drugmaker Roche has stopped giving patients its experimental diabetes treatment taspoglutide in late stage clinical trials due to a high rate of adverse reactions, marking a major blow to drug once seen to have $2 billion a year potential. The decision was based on a higher-than-expected rate of discontinuations due to gastrointestinal (GI) intolerability, and due to serious hypersensitivity reactions experienced by some patients, according to 52-week data from the trials.
The drug, given once weekly by injection, suffered a serious setback in June, when it was reported that there were cases of patients suffering hypersensitivity reactions to the medicine in clinical trials.
Roche said it was not abandoning its drug, but was considering a reformulation of the medicine. Any reformulation would likely cause a significant delay beyond the one Roche signaled in June.
For full story go to Reuters.
