United Therapeutics' esuberaprost fails Phase III in PAH

United Therapeutics discontinued development of esuberaprost after the compound failed to meet the primary endpoint in the Phase III BEAT trial to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension. Esuberaprost is a single isomer formulation of beraprost, a prostacyclin analog.

BEAT evaluated oral esuberaprost as an add-on to Tyvaso, the company's inhaled treprostinil, in PAH patients with signs of deterioration on Tyvaso or who had a suboptimal response to that therapy. The double-blind trial enrolled about 240 patients and evaluated time to first clinical worsening event vs. placebo as its primary endpoint...