BioCentury
ARTICLE | Clinical News

Rigel cuts two more programs from pipeline

August 14, 2014 1:34 AM UTC

Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:RIGL) discontinued development of R348 to treat dry eye disease after the compound missed the primary endpoint of improving corneal fluorescein staining score from baseline to week 12 vs. placebo in a Phase II trial for the indication. The JAK kinase (JAK) and spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) inhibitor also missed the secondary endpoints of improving conjunctival staining, tear production and dry eye symptom scores from baseline to week 12 vs. placebo. The company said it will continue a Phase II trial of R348 to treat dry eye in patients with graft-versus-host disease (GvHD).

Additionally, Rigel discontinued development of R118, an activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), due to its side effect profile in Phase I trials to treat intermittent claudication. This is the fourth program Rigel has dropped in the past year. ...