Zura Bio's skin disease drug fails mid-stage trial
ZURA•Zura Bio said tibulizumab failed the main goal of a mid-stage trial in hidradenitis suppurativa, and it will stop developing the drug for the disease. Shares fell more than 70% in premarket trading; the company reported $187.7 million in cash as of September 30.
1. Trial misses goals
Tibulizumab failed to show a benefit over placebo in reducing abscesses and inflammatory skin nodules after 16 weeks. The trial enrolled 247 adults with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa, and secondary measures of lesion reductions were also missed.
2. Development plans
The two doses reduced lesion counts by 56% and 58.1%, compared with 52.5% for placebo. Zura Bio said the drug was well tolerated; an investigator considered one death in the higher-dose group unrelated to treatment. The company will discontinue development for hidradenitis suppurativa but continue studying tibulizumab in systemic sclerosis and polymyalgia rheumatica. Zura Bio said its $187.7 million in cash and cash equivalents as of September 30 was expected to support planned operations through at least the end of 2028.
