(Reuters) – Cytokinetics Inc said on Friday it would stop the development of its treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as the drug was found to be ineffective, in a fresh setback to the drug developer.
The company said the decision followed a review of a late-stage study by a data monitoring panel, which showed the drug, reldesemtiv, had no effect in ALS patients compared with placebo.
The decision to stop the trial comes a month after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declined to approve the company’s oral drug for the treatment of a type of heart failure.
The company in the coming months will assess measures needed for the development of its neuromuscular pipeline, Cytokinetics CEO Robert Blum said in a statement.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, breaks down nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that make muscles work, leading to progressive paralysis and death.
It affects more than 30,000 patients in the United States, according to patient advocacy group ALS Association.
(Reporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi)
