BRIEF—Foipan dropped as potential coronavirus treatment

Japan’s Ono Pharmaceutical has announced negative results for a Phase III trial testing Foipan (camostat mesilate) as a treatment for coronavirus disease.

The study did not meet its primary endpoint of a negative SARS-CoV-2 test, in patients with asymptomatic to moderate novel COVID-19 infection.

Foipan is an oral protease enzyme inhibitor created at Ono, approved in 1985 for chronic pancreatitis and in 1994 for postoperative reflux esophagitis.

Following the results, Ono has decided to discontinue the development of Foipan in this indication.