Verona Pharma to drop VRP700 development after Phase IIa trial fails to meet endpoint

UK-based company Verona Pharma (AIM: VRP) says that the Phase IIa clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a single dose of VRP700 as a novel treatment for chronic severe cough in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) did not meet the primary endpoint of a statistically significant reduction in cough frequency when compared to placebo. The company’s share price was down 40% on the news to £1.225 this morning.

This placebo-controlled, cross-over exploratory study was conducted in 20 IPF patients who received, as part of the protocol, a single inhaled dose of either 100mg VRP700 or placebo. It follows the successful outcome of a single centre pilot study in which an inhaled dose of VRP700 effectively inhibited coughing in a smaller group of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Verona Pharma chief executive Jan-Anders Karlsson said: “These data are clearly disappointing and did not meet our expectations given the marked inhibition of coughing observed in a previous clinical trial with patients administered VRP700, albeit with a different underlying disease, ILD. It is possible that VRP700 works better in such patients or that more frequent dosing, for a longer time period, may be required to effectively suppress coughing in IPF patients. While we will not undertake any further in-house development of VRP700, we will comprehensively review the data from this study and explore opportunities to realise further value from this asset.”