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July 21 (Reuters) - Celldex Therapeutics said on Tuesday it would discontinue the development of its experimental drug for a skin disease after it failed to meet the main goal and key secondary goals in a mid-stage study, sending its shares down over 7% in extended trading.
Here are some details:
• The treatment barzolvolimab is being tested in patients with prurigo nodularis, a chronic skin disease that causes intensely itchy skin lumps and nodules.
• The company said it will discontinue the study after the drug did not show meaningful improvement in itch or skin lesions compared with placebo.
• This marks a setback for Celldex, as barzolvolimab is the company's lead drug candidate.
• The drug was generally well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with prior studies, the company said.
• The treatment landscape for prurigo nodularis has improved in recent years with the approval of targeted drugs such as Sanofi's blockbuster Dupixent and Galderma's Nemluvio, after patients were long treated with steroids, immunosuppressants and other therapies that often provided limited relief.
• Barzolvolimab sharply reduced mast cells, which are immune cells involved in allergic reactions and inflammation but patients did not experience an improvement in symptoms. This suggests mast cells may not be a major driver of prurigo nodularis, Celldex said.
• Celldex said it remains focused on developing barzolvolimab for other inflammatory and allergic conditions, with late-stage trial data in chronic spontaneous urticaria expected in September or October 2026 and mid-stage data in atopic dermatitis due later in the year.
(Reporting by Padmanabhan Ananthan in Bengaluru)
