Endeavor BioMedicines reports positive phase 2b results for Hedgehog inhibitor taladegib in IPF

Endeavor BioMedicines announced that its Hedgehog pathway inhibitor, taladegib, produced encouraging results in a phase 2b study of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The trial, named WHISTLE-PF, enrolled 213 participants and measured lung function using percent predicted forced vital capacity (ppFVC) over a 24‑week period.

The primary endpoint was met, with taladegib showing a statistically significant improvement in ppFVC compared with placebo at the 24‑week mark. A pre‑specified analysis also indicated that continued treatment led to a sustained gain in lung capacity from baseline throughout the study period.

These findings suggest that taladegib may not only slow the progression of fibrosis but could actually reverse some of the lung damage, a claim that differentiates it from current therapies that primarily aim to halt decline.

If confirmed in later trials, the data position Endeavor as a potential challenger to the market leaders Boehringer Ingelheim’s Ofev and Roche’s Esbriet, which dominate the IPF space today.