Teva and Active Biotech to move forward with laquinimod on positive Ph IIa results in active lupus nephritis

Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TEVA) and Swedish partner Active Biotech (OMX NORDIC: ACTI) have released positive results of a Phase IIa study of oral laquinimod designed to assess safety, tolerability and clinical efficacy in patients with active lupus nephritis, one of the most serious manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) that can lead to chronic kidney failure.

Treatment with laquinimod provided an additive effect in improving renal function when combined with current standard of care for active lupus nephritis (mycophenolate mofetil and corticosteroids), compared with standard of care alone. The data will be presented during the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, now taking place in Madrid, Spain.

"The favorable trends towards laquinimod treatment in the renal end-points, coupled with the safety and tolerability profile, provide a rationale for further Phase III clinical studies,” said principal investigator David Jayne, of the Vasculitis and Lupus Clinic, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.