2nd Phase III study of tanezumab in osteoarthritis pain meets goals

US pharma majors Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) yesterday announced positive top-line results from a Phase III study evaluating tanezumab 2.5mg or 5mg in patients with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis (OA) pain.

The tanezumab 5mg treatment arm met all three co-primary endpoints at 24 weeks, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in pain, physical function and the patients’ overall assessment of their OA compared to those receiving placebo. The tanezumab 2.5mg treatment arm met two of the three protocol-defined co-primary efficacy endpoints compared to placebo, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in pain and physical function, while patients’ overall assessment of their OA was not statistically different than placebo. Tanezumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that is part of an investigational class of non-opioid pain medications known as nerve growth factor (NGF) inhibitors.

Sales of the drug, if approved, are expected to reach $283 million for Pfizer by 2020, according to analysts’ forecasts and tanezumab would be a first-in-class, non-opioid treatment for OA pain and CLBP. Shares in Eli Lilly (+0.62%) and Pfizer (0.074%) edged up slightly (62%) following the announcement, while Pfizer, which also yesterday announced 2018 financial results, closed up 3.16% at $40.77.