KalVista Pharma Eye Drug Partnered With Merck Flunks Phase 2 Test
Summary
A KalVista Pharmaceuticals eye drug at the center of a research collaboration with Merck has failed a mid-stage clinical trial. On Monday, Cambridge, MA-based KalVista said patients treated with the drug, given as a monthly injection to the eye, did not show enough vision improvement after 16 weeks to distance the experimental therapy from a sham treatment. Under the agreement, Merck gained an option to license KVD001 after the completion of a Phase 2 clinical trial financed by the Kenilworth, NJ-based pharmaceutical giant. In a note to investors, SVB Leerink’s Dae Gon Ha described KVD900 as KalVista’s “more prized asset.” He added that unlike in DME, blocking plasma kallikrein to address HAE is a less risky bet. An oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor that BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BCRX) developed to prevent and treat HAE attacks is now being prepared for FDA review.
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