Roche, Atea COVID-19 antiviral pill fails midstage trial

Atea Pharmaceuticals said Oct. 19 that the COVID-19 antiviral drug it is developing with Roche failed to benefit nonhospitalized patients in a midstage trial. 

Advertisement

The drug, called AT-527, didn’t reduce the viral load in nonhospitalized patients with mild to moderate symptoms, which was the goal. But the drugmaker said that data from the trial suggests the drug may be effective for high-risk patients with underlying health conditions. 

Antiviral drugs tend to be most effective early in the course of a disease and benefit patients whose immune system’s aren’t fighting the virus well, according to The Wall Street Journal

Boston-based Atea said it and Roche are considering modifying their phase 3 trial and may change the patient population or the study’s primary goal. It now expects final results in the second half of 2022. 

Atea’s stock fell 61 percent after the trial’s results were announced, the Journal reported. 

Read the drugmaker’s full news release here

At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.

Advertisement

Next Up in Pharmacy

Advertisement

Comments are closed.