Can Axovant's RVT-1 Redeem 5HT6 Class After Lundbeck's Idalopirdine Failure?

Lundbeck says it remains committed to developing new Alzheimer's disease drugs with a variety of different mechanisms, after the unsurprising failure of 5HT6 antagonist idalopirdine in two more Phase III studies.

Human brain illustrated with millions of small nerves - Conceptual 3d render

The failure of Lundbeck Inc./Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.'s idalopirdine in two more Phase III trials is yet another blow for Alzheimer's disease research and for serotonin 5-HT6 antagonists, though there is still some reason to hold off on death rites for the drug class until Axovant Sciences Ltd.'s intepirdine (RVT-101) Phase III read-out later this year.

Lundbeck/Otsuka announced the failure of the Phase III STARBEAM and STARBRIGHT studies of idalopirdine in moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease on Feb. 8 and said the data do not support a regulatory approval. Idalopirdine had already failed in the Phase III STARSHINE study in September 2016

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