- Atea Pharmaceuticals posted underwhelming data from a Phase 2 trial of its COVID antiviral therapy AT-527 on Oct. 19, causing its stock price to fall by 66%.
- The drug failed to meet its endpoint of reduction of the SARS-Cov-2 virus compared to placebo in a subset of patients - around two-thirds of whom were low risk.
- Atea has a similar mechanism of action to Merck's Molnupiravir, which looks likely to win Emergency Approval for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients who are at risk for progressing to severe COVID.
- If Atea management has used only unvaccinated patients with a serious underlying health issue, as Merck did, the outcome of its MOONSONG trial may have been different.
- As such, Atea may be able to alter pivotal trial protocols and still make it to market - although yesterday's data means that will not happen for at least another year, by which time, it may be too late.
For further details see:
Atea Pharmaceuticals' COVID Antiviral Trial Failure Hands Initiative To Merck's Molnupiravir