Kyowa Hakko drops development of tivantinib

Japanese drugmaker Kyowa Hakko Kirin says it has discontinued the development of tivantinib (ARQ: 197), an oral agent whose molecular target is c-Met, following a string of clinical trial failures.

Kyowa Hakko Kirin signed a license agreement with the drug’s discover, USA-based ArQule for the exclusive rights to the development and sales of tivantinib in Japan and some parts of Asia (China, Korea, and Taiwan) in April 2007.

Under the license agreement, Kyowa Hakko Kirin developed ARQ 197 for indications of gastric cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma in its territory. However, positive results were not acquired in any studies, leading to the decision to drop tivantinib.