A sign is seen at a diagnostic site for Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche in Burgess Hill, UK, on October 7, 2020. REUTERS / Peter Nicholls / File Photo
Roche (ROG.S) is looking for another place to conduct trials of its pill to combat COVID-19, after falling cases in Britain made it difficult to find enough patients to study, it said on Wednesday. the Swiss pharmacist.
Atea Pharmaceuticals (AVIR.O), a partner in Roche and Boston, hopes its AT-527 pill can offer antiviral therapy to treat patients with COVID-19 that is easier to administer and cheaper than other prospective treatments, such as now antibody cocktails. or Gilead Science’s (GILD.O) remdesivir.
In an interview with Swiss media in early March, Roche President Christoph Franz offered the tempting prospect of data on the AT-527 “in the coming weeks,” saying he dreamed of being able to fight the pandemic with a pill in end of year.
But Britain’s success in reducing the number of cases with a rapid vaccination program and a strict blockade meant it would take longer than expected to collect trial data, Bill Anderson said. head of Roche’s pharmaceutical division.
“There just aren’t enough patients to sign up … at the speed we expected,” Anderson said in a conference call.
“This has been one of the challenges since the beginning of the pandemic: you have created places where there is a lot of COVID, and by the time you are ready to sign up, the pandemic has moved to another place and you are chasing a little “.
He did not identify other places where Roche could establish evidence.
Atea received an initial payment of $ 350 million in cash from Roche, with the possibility of future payments and royalties. With Roche, Atea tests the drug in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. He is also testing the drug separately in hospitals with patients with more severe cases.
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