Biogen and UCB said Tuesday that an experimental drug reduced disease activity and symptoms of systemic lupus, achieving the primary goal of a placebo-controlled Phase 3 study.
Detailed study results were not included in the press release issued by the companies, so how much participants benefited from the drug, called dapirolizumab pegol, won’t be known until data are presented at a medical meeting.
Still, the positive outcome is likely to be viewed favorably by investors given the drug’s mixed history. A Phase 2 study of “dapi” in systemic lupus, conducted in 2018, was negative, although Biogen and UCB saw enough evidence of a treatment effect to keep investing in the drug.
