Pfizer's bowel disease drug succeeds in second late-stage study

Bristol-Myers Squibb

29/03/2022 11:45

March 29 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc  PFE.N  said on Tuesday its
experimental treatment for an inflammatory bowel disease,
acquired last year as part of its $6.7 billion Arena
Pharmaceuticals deal, succeeded in a second late-stage study.
    Pfizer's etrasimod showed improvement in patients with
moderate to severe ulcerative colitis after 52 weeks. It met the
twin main goals of statistically significant improvement in
remission at week 12 and week 52 compared to placebo.
    Globally, the market for inflammatory bowel diseases is
about $20 billion, making it a lucrative target for drugmakers. 
    Ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the
colon, is a condition that leads to ulcers and causes abdominal
pain, bloody stools and incontinence. 
    Results from the first late-stage study released last week
showed the once-a-day drug improved symptoms in ulcerative
colitis patients at week 12 compared to placebo. 
    Statistically significant improvements were also achieved in
all key secondary goals for both the late-stage trials.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2VQ2G4 
    Pfizer expects to include data from these two late-stage
studies, as well as long-term extensions of the studies, in its
planned regulatory filings for etrasimod that are anticipated to
begin later this year.


 (Reporting by Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini
Ganguli)
 ((Leroy.Dsouza@thomsonreuters.com ; Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeroyLeo7;))