Sept 12 (Askume) – Fulcrum Therapeutics (FULC.O) said on Thursday its experimental drug to treat a muscle disease failed to meet key targets in a late-stage study, sending its shares down nearly 70% in the premarket.
The company is testing its drug, losmapimod, on 260 patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) who receive either the treatment or a placebo for 48 weeks.
At the end of the treatment period, patients who received the drug showed no improvement in shoulder and proximal arm range of motion — the primary goal of the study. The study failed to achieve statistical significance on any of its secondary objectives.
In light of the results, the company said it plans to pause testing rosumamod in patients with FSHD.
FSHD is a genetic disorder that causes weakness and weight loss in the muscles of the face, shoulder blades, and upper arms. The Muscular Dystrophy Association estimates the prevalence of this disease to be about 4 cases per 100,000 people.
