Biogen Inc. has decided to stop testing its successful multiple sclerosis drug, Tysabri, as a stroke treatment after disappointing mid-stage study results.
Tysabri netted the company nearly $2 billion in sales last year — but competition in the MS drug space has been getting tougher, and Biogen has been looking for ways to expand its portfolio.
The study found that Tyasbri did not meet several mid-study goals such as improving an ischemic stroke patient’s ability to perform daily activities.
The company still hoping to find success in the market for stroke treatments with another drug — BIIB093 (intravenous glibenclamide) — which is being tested to treat and prevent a kind of brain swelling that can cause severe strokes.
Read the full Reuters report.