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(Reuters) – French drug maker Sanofi SA announced Friday that it has terminated its partnership with Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. to develop a drug for use with insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes and diabetes mellitus. type 2.
Lexicon shares fell nearly 40% in prolonged trading.
Sanofi said the end of the partnership comes after the results of three advanced studies of the oral drug Zynquista, developed jointly by the two companies.
In a separate statement, Lexicon stated that it had not yet received the underlying data from the studies and that it intended to conduct its own review. The company also stated that it considered that Sanofi was out of contract and that the termination was invalid.
"Although we are disappointed by the position taken by Sanofi, we are confident in the strength of the data we have seen so far in the Type 2 diabetes program," said the Director General. from Lexicon, Lonnel Coats.
"In the event of a valid termination of the Sanofi alliance, we also hope to fully recover Zynquista's rights to type 1 diabetes in the United States, as well as to the rest of the world," he said.
However, Sanofi said trials of this drug would continue without Lexicon.
In March, the US Food and Drug Administration refused to approve the use of this drug with insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes, two months after that. A group of experts worried about the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), leaving them divided on the benefits of treatment. exceeded the risks.
DKA is a deadly disease in which acids called ketones accumulate when the body starts to use fat instead of glucose as a source of energy.
Zynquista, which contains the active substance sotagliflozin, works by inhibiting SGLT1 and SGLT2 proteins to regulate blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of weight gain.
(Report by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru, edited by Anil D & # 39; Silva)
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