Cost-Cutting Sanofi Resumes Fitusiran Studies, Starts COVID Vaccine Phase IIb This Month

Sanofi has restarted Phase III clinical trials with a potential RNA-interference based hemophilia therapy, fitusiran, and expects to start Phase IIb studies this month with its COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline plc, but the multinational has halted Phase II studies in Parkinson’s disease of another high-profile product candidate, venglustat. 

Phase III studies of fitusiran were put on hold late last year because of side effect concerns including non-fatal thrombotic events, but the studies have now resumed, Sanofi highlighted in its 2020 financial results reporting on 5 February