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The oral drug remibrutinib cut relapse rates in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis, beating a rival treatment in both studies
Novartis stock climbed after the Swiss drugmaker announced positive results Tuesday from two late-stage trials of its oral multiple sclerosis drug remibrutinib, raising expectations that the medicine could become a major revenue driver.
By Tuesday's European midday session, Novartis shares had gained 4.5%, pushing the stock's gain for the year to 18%, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The two Phase III studies, called REMODEL-1 and REMODEL-2, each enrolled approximately 1,000 patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis and compared remibrutinib against teriflunomide, sold by Sanofi under the brand name Aubagio. Both trials met their primary endpoint, reducing the annualized relapse rate, and showed superiority over teriflunomide across all key secondary endpoints, including a reduction in MRI brain lesions, the company said. The drug also produced clinically meaningful results in slowing disability progression.
