Mining the negatives
Arrowhead mined its non-responder data and found its next HBV drug candidate
By investigating why its discontinued siRNA candidate against hepatitis B caused only weak responses in certain patients, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. has upended a dogma about the virus’ genetics that has been clouding drug design and developed a new therapeutic strategy it plans to take to the clinic next year.
The findings not only provide a case study for finding new opportunities in non-responder populations, but highlight yet another example of a field making incorrect assumptions based on the limitations of its most accessible animal models...