On Tuesday, Soligenix Inc. (NASDAQ:SNGX) said its pivotal Phase 3 FLASH2 trial evaluating HyBryte in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) will be halted after an interim analysis recommended stopping the study for futility, marking a setback for the late-stage biopharmaceutical company.
The biopharmaceutical’s stock plunged after the update.
“We are obviously very disappointed with the unanticipated outcome of the study,” stated Christopher Schaber, President and CEO of Soligenix. “Despite the fact that HyBryte demonstrated statistically significant reductions in CTCL lesions after 6 weeks treatment in the first FLASH study, a similar signal was not observed with 18 weeks of treatment in this study.”
“Over the coming weeks, we will analyze the data to better determine why the study did not meet expectations. If there is any clarity gained from further analysis of the dataset, especially with respect to specific subsets of patients that may benefit from HyBryte therapy, then we intend to communicate our findings and explore follow-up discussions with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” Schaber further commented.
With approximately $5.9 million in cash, Soligenix said it is assessing multiple strategic paths.
These include potential merger and acquisition opportunities, as well as advancing its dusquetide program for Behçet’s disease.
The company emphasized that decisions on the HyBryte program will depend on insights derived from further analysis of the FLASH2 data.
In the earlier Phase 3 FLASH trial, HyBryte met its primary endpoint, with 16% of patients achieving at least a 50% reduction in lesions versus 4% in the placebo arm at eight weeks.
Extended treatment durations showed improved response rates, reaching 49% among patients completing all three cycles.
The therapy has also demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with minimal systemic absorption and no evidence of DNA damage-related risks.
Regulators had previously indicated that a second successful Phase 3 trial would be required for approval.
FLASH2 was designed to confirm earlier findings but extended continuous treatment to 18 weeks.
SNGX Price Action: Soligenix shares were down 64.66% at $0.50 at the time of publication on Tuesday. The stock is trading at a new 52-week low, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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