3rd UPDATE: Roche Says Diabetes Drug Better Than Merck Januvia
December 02 2009 - 7:37AM
Dow Jones News
Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) said Wednesday an experimental
once-weekly treatment under development works better in treating a
type of diabetes than Merck & Co. Inc.'s (MRK) Januvia,
according to a clinical study.
The Basel-based drug company is comparing taspoglutide to
Januvia and to a placebo in Phase-III studies on Type 2 diabetes,
and said the drug met primary endpoints and was well-tolerated by
patients taking it.
A spokesman for Merck said the U.S.-based drug firm looks
forward to Roche's full study results, which analysts say is likely
to be made available at the American Diabetes Association's
scientific session next June.
""We are very confident in the unique mechanism of Januvia, and
in its proven efficacy and side effect profile, and the benefits it
offers to appropriate patients," Merck spokesman Pam Eisele
said.
Roche, which wasn't immediately available to comment on when
further data might be released, acquired the worldwide marketing
rights, excluding Japan and France, to taspoglutide from French
drugmaker Ipsen SA (IPN.FR) in 2006, in a deal that allows Ipsen to
retain co-marketing rights for France if it so wishes.
Taspoglutide is injected once-weekly, which may present an
advantage in being more convenient particularly for patients who
don't adhere to their prescribed drugs, analysts for Bryan Garnier
said.
As in a previous study, the most common side effects reported
from taking taspoglutide were nausea and vomiting, Roche said.
While the data is encouraging, particularly in outdoing Januvia,
taspoglutide's success hinges on whether patients can easily take
it with minimal side effects, said Bank Sarasin analyst David
Kaegi.
Wednesday's data "shed little light" on nausea and vomiting,
which has prevented Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) drug Byetta from
gaining considerable market share, Kaegi added. He rates Roche at
buy.
Health concerns are also at the core of the U.S. rollout of Novo
Nordisk A/S's (NVO) Victoza, which suffered a setback when the Food
and Drug Administration this spring came to a split decision on
whether the drug could be marketed. The FDA's decision came amid
data on a type of thyroid tumors seen in rodent studies. The FDA is
expected to provide Novo with feedback on Victoza in the fourth
quarter.
Roche, which also recently presented data showing taspoglutide
works better in lowering blood sugar than Byetta, will be closely
watched at the June diabetes conference for effectiveness of
taspoglutide per dose, side effects, and possible weight loss,
Bryan Garnier said.
Analysts at German bank Sal. Oppenheim said in a recent note
that Roche's taspoglutide will likely ultimately win approval from
the U.S. health regulator, based on its strong effectiveness and
the medical need for safe drugs to treat Type 2 diabetes.
The head-to-head survey against Januvia forms part of a host of
studies Roche is carrying out to show how taspoglutide works in
diabetes.
Shares in both Roche and Ipsen rose more than their sector in
early trading Wednesday. At 1200 GMT, Roche was CHF1.10 higher, or
up 0.7%, at CHF166.60 while shares in Ipsen were EUR0.95 higher, or
up 2.6%, at EUR38.20. The Stoxx Europe health index advanced
0.5%.
Company Web site: http://www.roche.com
-By Katharina Bart, Dow Jones Newswires; +41 43 443 8043;
katharina.bart@dowjones.com
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