Connect Biopharma's asthma drug rademikibart misses primary endpoint in Phase 2 trial

Connect Biopharma reported that its IL-4/IL-13 blocker rademikibart failed to meet the primary endpoint in a Phase 2 study in asthma patients with type-2 inflammation.

The trial enrolled 160 patients who received either subcutaneous rademikibart or placebo. Although the drug lowered the rate of treatment failure by 66% over 28 days, the reduction did not reach statistical significance, which the company attributed to a lower overall treatment-failure rate than expected.

A secondary analysis showed a statistically significant increase from baseline in post-bronchodilator FEV1. The setback follows a Phase 3 success in China for rademikibart in atopic dermatitis, and Connect is awaiting results from a separate Phase 2 COPD study due later this month.