J&J stalls development of antiviral from Alios deal
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has stalled development of lumicitabine (AL-8176), an antiviral candidate that was a key to its $1.75 billion acquisition of Alios BioPharma Inc. in 2014, and revealed a resulting impairment charge of about $630 million in its 3Q18 earnings. The pharma also beat overall sales and earnings estimates for the quarter and raised its full-year guidance, although it reported sales of multiple myeloma drug Darzalex daratumumab that fell short of expectations.
A J&J spokesperson told BioCentury on Oct. 16 that the company placed a voluntary hold on all clinical trials of lumicitabine in June due to new preclinical data and the need for additional preclinical trials. The hold, disclosed briefly in an August regulatory filing, affected two Phase IIb trials to treat adults with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and a Phase IIb pediatric trial. All three studies have now been closed, the spokesperson said...