Novartis' biotech partner admits PhIII Covid-19 defeat for stem cell therapy, triggering extension of $1.2B+ deal close
The latest cell therapy program to enter Novartis’ pipeline has flunked its first Phase III test for ventilator-dependent Covid-19 patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Mesoblast, the Australian biotech that Novartis inked a $1.2 billion-plus deal with just a month ago, reported that the data safety monitoring board recommended they stop enrolling new patients and just wrap the trial prematurely. The therapy would have needed to reduce 30-day mortality by 43% on top of maximal care to meet the primary endpoint; after reviewing data on 180 patients, the DSMB concluded it was unlikely to hit that mark.
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