Amylin, Takeda discontinue davalintide

Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:AMLN) and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:4502) discontinued development of davalintide in favor of their other obesity compound in Phase II testing, pramlintide/metreleptin. A Phase II trial to treat obesity showed that the weight loss and tolerability profile of davalintide was inferior to that of pramlintide/metreleptin. Davalintide is a second-generation amylinomimetic peptide.

Pramlintide/metreleptin is a combination of pramlintide (amylin analog) and metreleptin (leptin analog). The companies also presented data from a 24-week extension of a 28-week Phase II trial of the combination in about 275 patients. Patients who continued treatment with pramlintide/metreleptin for a total of 52 weeks demonstrated sustained weight loss compared to patients continuing on placebo, who regained almost all of their weight. Amylin previously reported that the combination missed the primary endpoint of significantly reducing percent body weight from baseline to week 28 vs. placebo (See BioCentury, Nov. 09, 2009). ...