Protagonist blames placebo effect for UC drug failure

27 March 2018

US biotech Protagonist Therapeutics (Nasdaq: PTGX) closed 58% down on Monday at $8.75 after its Phase IIb trial of PTG-100 in severe ulcerative colitis (UC) fell at the first hurdle.

The company has halted the PROPEL study of the investigational oral GI-restricted alpha-4-beta-7 integrin antagonist peptide after the Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) had sight of the data from the first 65 patients in the trial, deeming its continuation futile based on an analysis of the primary endpoint of clinical remission.

Protagonist has also announced that it will postpone its decision about the initiation of a Phase II/III clinical trial of PTG-100 in chronic pouchitis until after its full review of the interim data from the UC PROPEL study.

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