Menlo discontinues serlopitant for chronic cough after Phase II miss

Menlo Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:MNLO) said it will discontinue development of serlopitant (VPD-737) to treat refractory chronic cough after the compound missed the primary endpoint in the Phase II TUSSIX (MTI-110) trial in the indication. The company said it will continue to develop the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R; TACR1) antagonist to treat pruritus.

On the primary endpoint of the 185-patient, double-blind, U.S. and U.K. TUSSIX trial, patients who received once-daily 5 mg oral serlopitant had a 31% lower reduction in 24-hour cough frequency from baseline to week 12 compared with placebo. Additionally, a smaller proportion of patients who received serlopitant achieved a ≥30% reduction in 24-hour cough frequency at week 12 vs. placebo (44% vs. 54%)...