Gigantism

Pictured: Blood sample for insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)/iStock, Jarun011 Crinetics Pharmaceuticals has secured another late-stage win as its oral, once-daily investigational drug paltusotine aced a second Phase III study for acromegaly, a rare hormonal disorder. The biotech’s stock shot up over 10% Tuesday morning following the announcement. In the late-stage trial, 56% of patients taking paltusotine achieved the primary endpoint for the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) level compared to 5% on placebo. The treatment also helped reduce symptoms of the disease—a secondary endpoint of the study. No serious adverse events were reported. Acromegaly, sometimes referred to as gigantism, is a serious hormonal disorder caused by a benign tumor in the pituitary gland that secretes growth hormone. Over 25,000 patients in the U.S. suffer from the rare disease, which results in enlargement of face, hands and feet. Left untreated, it can cause type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and other serious complications. Surgical removal of the tumor is the preferred treatment but many patients are not candidates for surgery. Current pharmacological options include painful monthly injections or Pfizer’s subcutaneous daily injection of Somavert. The Phase III data are the second positive trial results for Crinetics in acromegaly. In September 2023, the biotech shared data for a study of paltusotine in patients who switched from their current injections to Crinetics’ pill. Among treated patients, 83% were able to maintain their IGF-1 levels within the upper limit of normal, compared to only 4% of those on placebo. With these data in hand, Crinetics plans to submit its New Drug Application to the FDA in the second half of this year, while prepping for a 2025 launch. Jefferies analysts believe the market opportunity could be around $300 million for the company. Crinetics is also testing the drug candidate in carcinoid syndrome, reporting positive Phase II topline results last week. Kate Goodwin is a freelance life science writer based in Des Moines, Iowa. She can be reached at kate.goodwin@biospace.com and on LinkedIn.