Stock Watch: Alnylam’s Date With The Competition

Meeting Endpoints With Less Competitive Data May Not Be A Win

16 Aug 2022

• By Andy Smith

When a loss-making rare disease biotech company’s product takes on Pfizer in the same indication but without the benefit of superior data, pharmaceutical marketing lessons will be learnt.

Stock Watch Image, Andy Smith — ANDY SMITH OFFERS A LIFE SCIENCE INVESTOR'S PERSPECTIVE ON BIOPHARMA BUSINESS

In what was one of the most anticipated clinical trial readouts of the year, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.. announced the results of its 360-patient Phase III APOLLO-B study of Onpattro (patisiran) in transthyretin-mediated (AATR) amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy. Onpattro is already approved in the smaller polyneuropathy AATR amyloidosis population and met APOLLO-B’s six-minute walk distance (6MWD) primary endpoint after 12 months. (Also see "Alnylam Ready To Expand TTR Franchise With Positive Cardiomyopathy Results" - Scrip, 4 August, 2022.)

Speculation on clinical trial read-outs often divides investors who may be willing to gamble one way or the other on...