LONDON: Fulcrum Therapeutics said on Thursday that its experimental drug to treat a type of muscle disorder failed to meet a key goal in a late-stage study, sending the company’s shares down nearly 70 percent before the bell.
The company was testing its drug, losmapimod, in 260 patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), who received the therapy or a placebo for 48 weeks.
At the end of the treatment period, patients who took the drug did not show improvement in measures of shoulder and proximal arm mobility—the main goal of the study. The study also failed to achieve statistical significance on any of its secondary objectives.
In light of the results, the company said it plans to suspend testing losmapimod in FSHD patients.
FSHD is a genetic disorder that causes muscle weakness and wasting in the face, shoulder blades, and upper arms. According to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the estimated prevalence of the disease is about 4 cases per 100,000 individuals. (Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
