Teva Pharmaceutical and Active Biotech announced they were ending the higher-dose portions of two multiple-sclerosis studies involving the drug Laquinimod, after patients suffered non-fatal "cardiovascular events."
The incidents occurred in 8 patients involved in the higher-dose components of a phase 3 and phase 2 clinical trial. Trials of the once-daily oral drug laquinimod will continue with the lower dose of 0.6 mg daily where there were no issues.
Teva had set its hopes on Laquinimod to be its next potential multiple-sclerosis blockbuster, after Copaxone lost patent protection last year.
Read the WSJ article
