Sanofi has stopped a phase 2 trial of Denali Therapeutics-partnered oditrasertib in multiple sclerosis. The RIPK1 inhibitor was removed from the list of active studies after it failed to meet its primary and secondary endpoints.
The belief was that inhibiting the kinase may stop tissue damage and neuronal death by disrupting the production of cytokines and other proinflammatory factors, but Sanofi has failed to prove this in the clinic.
The study was comparing the effect of oditrasertib, also known as SAR443820, and placebo on serum neurofilament levels. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a neurodegenerative disease biomarker. A drop in NfL could reflect a reduction in axonal damage or neuronal degeneration, events that cause the release of the biomarker.
Oditrasertib failed to cause a positive change in NfL compared to placebo.
