Bristol Myers suspends mid-stage trial of hepatitis C drug
Global bio-pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb Co has suspended a mid-stage trial of an experimental hepatitis C drug it secured in its $2.5 billion buyout of Inhibitex Inc after one patient developed heart failure.
The New York-based drug maker said it has suspended the clinical trial of the drug known as BMS-986094 as a concern for safety.
The drug maker has stopped the administration of the drug to about 30 patients who were a part of the Phase 2b study. The heart failure occurred in a patient who received the highest daily dose of 200 miligrams.
Sonia Choi, a Bristol-Myers spokeswoman said, “Although the issue presented in a patient receiving that dose, it doesn’t preclude the possibility of issues with other doses.” Sonia also said, “At this point, we don’t know what the cause of the safety issue is. We are taking time to evaluate information on all patients receiving this compound.”
The global pharma company has used acquisitions to get new experimental medicines as it aims to replace the loss of revenue from Plavix, a blood thinner which generated 33% of 2011 sales. Bristol Myers is also competing with other drug company Gilead Sciences Inc to get clearance of the new generation of medicines to treat the estimated 170 million patients with hepatitis C.
Bristol Myers Squibb is a pharmaceutical company formed through the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation.