Forte Biosciences plans to halt development of its lead product candidate for a major indication.
Last week, the California-based company announced that the only clinical stage product in its pipeline — FB-401 — had failed to meet the primary endpoint in a phase 2 trial of patients with atopic dermatitis (eczema). In the study, 58% of patients taking the treatment, which consists of three therapeutic strains of a commensal gram bacteria, improved on the treatment — compared to 60% on a placebo.
Although the treatment did meet some of its secondary endpoints, the company said it will no longer gun for an eczema indication for the drug. Forte also said that it will continue to study the data from the readout and provide investors with an update.
The news sent Forte’s stock into a free-fall late last week, and shares plummeted by more than 82%.
