UPDATE 1-Regeneron's drug to lower gout flares meets goal
(Recasts, adds details, analyst comment, share movement)
By Jennifer Robin Raj
BANGALORE, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (REGN.O) said its experimental treatment to reduce gout flares, Arcalyst, met the main goal in a mid-stage trial and reduced flares by 81 percent, sending its shares up as much as 15 percent.
"This was a very nice controlled study, only 83 patients. But to be able to get these kind of statistics is still very promising," Canaccord Adams analyst Joseph Pantginis said.
Arcalyst has the potential to replace the current drugs for gout flares, given its positive data, the analyst added.
Current treatment for gout flares include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-gout drug Colchicine, but these drugs have side effects, Pantginis said.
Regeneron said no serious drug-related adverse events were reported in the trial and injection-site reaction was the most commonly reported adverse event.
The 83-patient study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Arcalyst, also known as rilonacept, and was statistically significant compared to a dummy drug in the prevention of gout flares that are induced by the initiation of gout-control medicines.
Gout is a painful joint disorder caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood and affects more than three million Americans, the company said.
Treatment, such as allopurinol, to reduce uric acid blood levels in the body and lower the occurrence of gout attacks can cause acute flares of joint pain and inflammation during the initial months of therapy.
The increased risk of painful gout flares over the first few months of initiation of uric acid-lowering therapy makes it difficult for patients to continue with the treatment.
However, the mid-stage study shows that Arcalyst may help avoid gout flares, thereby improving patient outcomes, Regeneron said in a statement. It plans to start a late-stage study early next year.
Shares of Tarrytown, New York-based Regeneron were trading up 68 cents at $21.26 in morning trade on Nasdaq. They touched a high of $23.67 earlier in the session. (Editing by Himani Sarkar)
