Feb. 10 Quick Takes: Aristea dissolving after safety findings

Citing a need to protect patient safety based on findings in Phase II testing, Aristea Therapeutics Inc. is ending development of CXCR2 inhibitor RIST4721 and winding down operations. The company was developing the molecule to treat palmoplantar pustulosis, hidradenitis suppurativa, familial Mediterranean fever and Behçet’s disease. The AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NASDAQ:AZN) spinout had raised at least $78 million in two venture rounds, and had entered a collaboration with Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., now part of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE), that gave it $60 million up front in 2021.

Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY) and 2seventy bio inc. (NASDAQ:TSVT) said cell therapy Abecma idecabtagene vicleucel more than tripled progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with triple-class exposed multiple myeloma, demonstrating a benefit of 13.3 months compared with 4.4 months (HR:0.49; p<0.0001) for standard regimens in the Phase III KarMMa-3 study. Abecma gained FDA approval last year to treat multiple myeloma patients who have received at least four prior treatments; KarMMa-3 enrolled adults who have received two to four lines of therapy. The anti-BCMA CAR T therapy also met the secondary endpoint of overall survival, with 71% of patients receiving a response compared with 41% who received standard regimes. Data will be included in an sBLA submission this year...