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Biogen ousted cemdomespib alongside three phase 1 assets. \n Biogen is continuing to thin its pipeline, dropping a phase 2 program acquired in the $7.3 billion Reata Pharmaceuticals buyout and kicking early-stage Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s prospects into touch.The big biotech used its fourth quarter results to reveal (PDF) it is ending the development of four molecules, one phase 2 prospect in diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain and three phase 1 neurodegenerative disease programs. Priya Singhal, M.D., head of development of Biogen, discussed the thinking behind the cuts on the company’s earnings call Wednesday.“We have previously discussed our efforts to augment our pipeline with the objective of rebalancing the risk profile and investing to win in key areas of expected future growth. As a result, we have focused our development efforts on a smaller set of clinical-stage programs that we believe are high conviction and well positioned to deliver a regular cadence of pivotal readouts and potential launches,” Singhal said.BIIB143, also known as cemdomespib, was the most advanced asset to get the chop. Biogen acquired the Hsp90 modulator in 2023 through its buyout of Reata, a deal that centered on the FDA-approved Skyclarys. Reata took the molecule into a phase 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain trial weeks after accepting Biogen’s buyout bid. The trial is set to wrap up in August 2026, according to ClinicalTrials.gov, but Biogen has already seen enough to call time on the program.The big biotech ousted cemdomespib alongside three phase 1 assets. An oral small molecule designed to treat early Alzheimer’s by stopping tau aggregation led the early-phase discontinuations. Biogen finished a phase 1 trial of the drug candidate, BIIB113, in 2023. Work on another tau-focused treatment of early Alzheimer’s, the phase 2 antisense oligonucleotide BIIB080, is continuing.In early Parkinson’s, Biogen stopped the development of the Ionis-partnered BIIB094. The antisense oligonucleotide targets LRRK2, reflecting evidence that gain-of-function mutations in the gene are the most common genetic cause of Parkinson’s. Biogen retains an interest in treating Parkinson’s by targeting LRRK2, with BIIB122, an inhibitor of the protein, remaining in the biotech’s phase 2 pipeline.Finally, Biogen brought an end to the development of BIIB101 in multiple system atrophy. The antisense oligonucleotide, another product of Biogen’s work with Ionis, targets alpha-synuclein. Insoluble forms of alpha-synuclein accumulate in the brains of multiple system atrophy patients, leading Biogen to identify the protein as a driver of neurodegeneration. 

Biogen is turning to Royalty Pharma for some cash in exchange for rights to a lupus program, the companies announced Wednesday. The two have agreed on a deal for litifilimab, an anti-BDCA2 drug currently in Phase 3 trials for two kinds of lupus. Biogen will get $250 million in cash, which it will use to continue developing the program, while Royalty Pharma may get undisclosed payments based on regulatory milestones, as well as royalty payments in the mid-single digits. The announcement coincided with Biogen’s fourth-quarter earnings, in which Biogen beat Wall Street expectations for earnings per share, as well as sales of the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi. Biogen investors have begun growing restless , as the company looks for ways to create long-term growth. CEO Chris Viehbacher and other executives have previously said the company has between $5 billion and $10 billion to make an acquisition before the end of the year. During last quarter’s call with analysts, Viehbacher faced questions about Biogen’s lupus efforts, with some wondering why the company wasn’t focusing on bringing CAR-T to lupus like many other biopharmas. In addition to litifilimab, Biogen also has an anti-CD40 program in Phase 3 testing for lupus called dapirolizumab pegol, which succeeded in one Phase 3 study last year and has a second trial that has launched. Biogen also noted that it’s completed $400 million in net savings of its cost-cutting program announced in mid-2023. The goal of $1 billion in gross savings is still on track to wrap up by the end of 2025. (Last month’s research reorganization is not part of these cuts.) In addition, Biogen announced that it is trimming four programs from its early-stage pipeline: BIIB113, an oral inhibitor of tau aggregation for Alzheimer’s disease; BIIB094, an antisense oligonucleotide targeting LRRK2 for Parkinson’s disease; BIIB101, an Ionis-partnered antisense drug for multiple system atrophy; and BIIB143/cemdomespib, a drug from Reata in diabetic neuropathic pain.