Atiya’s Covid-19 oral treatment fails midterm trial

Experimental treatment does not cut viral load in non-hospitalized patients with mild to moderate symptoms; stock dropped 61%

Atea Pharmaceuticals Inc. An oral Covid-19 treatment developed by U.S. failed in a midstage trial, the company said on Tuesday, plunging the company’s stock.

Atia, in collaboration with Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG, said its treatment did not cut viral loads in non-hospitalized patients with mild to moderate symptoms.

Shares of Boston-based Atia fell 61 per cent in late Tuesday trading.

Despite the negative news, the company said its data suggested that its AT-527 treatment has antiviral activity in high-risk patients with underlying health conditions.

Results Merck & Co and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP said earlier this month that their experimental Covid-19 pill reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by about 50% in high-risk people with mild to moderate Covid-19. reduced to . He has since filed an application asking US health regulators to authorize his antiviral drug, molnupiravir.

Atea and Roche said they are considering modifying their phase 3, or final phase, study of the drug based on the results of the phase 2 study. Modifications may include changes in which patients are enrolled and the primary goal of the study. Results are now expected in the second half of 2022; Analysts had earlier expected the data this year.

Antiviral drugs are often most effective early in the disease and show most benefit in patients whose own immune systems are not fighting the virus adequately. It can be difficult to show significant improvement in drug trials in all patients because many will recover on their own.