Not bound to onercept

Although Serono S.A. had believed the binding and structure of its onercept TNF-binding protein looked more appealing than existing anti-TNF alpha treatments, the company halted development of the compound in psoriasis after it proved not to be any better than its marketed competition.

TNF alpha inhibition is a proven strategy for treating diseases such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with three anti-TNF drugs on the market: Enbrel etanercept from Amgen Inc. and Wyeth; Remicade infliximab from Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough Corp.; and Humira adalimumab from Abbott Laboratories. For its own entry in the field, Serono went with a soluble receptor, like Enbrel, but using a different target...