Lilly’s Intended Successor To Zyprexa Faces Uncertain Future After Phase III Failure

01 Jul 2012

Failure to perform better than placebo in the first of two pivotal Phase III trials diminishes chances of success for pomaglumetad methionil, a metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptor agonist that Lilly hoped to position as a successor to its patent-expired schizophrenia therapy Zyprexa.

Eli Lilly & Co. suffered a potentially devastating setback July 11 as it reported the failure of the first of two pivotal Phase III trials for pomaglumetad methionil in schizophrenia. The compound, a first-in-class metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptor agonist, was being developed as a possible successor to the firm’s atypical antipsychotic Zyprexa (olanzapine), a multi-blockbuster that lost patent protection in 2011.

A prodrug also known as LY2140023, pomaglumetad was the first compound in its class to demonstrate antipsychotic properties in human...