Bristol Myers Admilparant Slows Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Progression

A lower dose of 60 mg of the experimental drug admilparant Bristol Myers Squibb The drug slowed the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a late-stage clinical trial, the company announced Monday. The study evaluated two oral doses of the drug in 1,255 patients suffering from this serious disease characterized by lung scarring.

The clinical trial demonstrated that administering Admilparant at a dose of 60 mg twice daily significantly outperformed placebo in preserving lung function after 52 weeks. However, the higher dose of 120 mg failed to achieve the primary endpoint of the study.

Details of the treatment and the disease

Admilparant acts on a pathway involved in lung scarring by blocking the LPA1 protein receptor. If it receives regulatory approval, the compound is poised to become the first LPA1 inhibitor marketed for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease that causes irreversible scarring that thickens and hardens lung tissue, gradually impairing breathing and lung function.

Current treatments for this condition include Ofev and Jascayd, from Boehringer Ingelheim, as well as the antifibrotic drug Esbriet, developed by Roche. Regarding safety, the New Jersey-based company indicated that Admilparant was well-tolerated at both doses tested, with low discontinuation rates comparable to those of the placebo.

Business perspectives and analysts

Analysts noted that their expectations for the results had been tempered due to safety concerns, and therefore requested full data to assess the drug’s commercial potential. Nevertheless, Matt Phipps, an analyst at William Blair, indicated that the success of the 60 mg dose could represent a major commercial opportunity with estimated sales of approximately $1.3 billion by 2032.

For his part, Trung Huynh of RBC highlighted that Bristol Myers The company is well-positioned for the remainder of the year, even though investor attention will also be focused on the results of trials for its atrial fibrillation drug milvexian and its Alzheimer’s-related psychosis treatment, Cobenfy. The company also reported positive results in trials of its cancer radiopharmaceutical, RYZ101.

The company expects to release the results of another late-stage study focused on the treatment of progressive pulmonary fibrosis in early 2027.