Menlo’s Setback Not Expected To Affect Results In Lead Pruritus Indication

Menlo Therapeutics Inc.'s oral serlopitant failed a Phase II trial in chronic pruritus of unknown origin on 26 February, but more important data readouts for the neurokinin receptor 1 (NK1) antagonist are coming in a few weeks. The dermatology firm’s equity in the pending merger with Foamix Pharmaceuticals Ltd.is based on the outcome of a pair of Phase III studies of serlopitant in pruritus (itch) associated with prurigo nodularis (PN).

Meno reported that in a 233-patient study testing serlopitant versus placebo in chronic pruritis of unknown origin (CPUO), an unmet medical need, serlopitant basically performed on a level basis with placebo for the primary endpoint of four-point or greater improvement in worst-itch numeric rating scale (WI-NRS) at 10 weeks compared to baseline. In the 116-patient treatment arm, 37.9% of patients achieved the endpoint, compared to 39