April 20 Quick Takes: AbbVie steps away from another alpha-synuclein program

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) is stepping away from another alpha-synuclein program with the termination of a 2016 deal to develop alpha-synuclein targeting antibodies, including ABBV-0805, with BioArctic AB (SSE:BIOA B). The partners presented Phase I data for ABBV-0805 in September that showed the therapy was well tolerated and supported moving into Phase I. In 2020, AbbVie ended a collaboration with Voyager Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:VYGR) to develop AAV-encoded antibodies against alpha-synuclein and tau for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. BioArctic shares fell SEK15.50 (14%) to SEK90.

Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ARCT) said its self-amplifying mRNA vaccine ARCT-154 showed 55% vaccine efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 disease in a Phase III trial. The 5 µg two-dose regimen showed 95.3% efficacy against severe COVID-19 disease or death in the 16,000 patient placebo-controlled study, with nine deaths in the placebo group and one death in the ARCT-154 group. Arcturus conducted the Phase III portion of the Phase I/II/III study in Vietnam from December 2021 to February 2022 when Delta and Omicron were the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variants. It is now planning a pivotal booster study for ARCT-154. After falling 27% in early trading, shares of Arcturus bounced almost all the way back, finishing down 3% at $24.47...