Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Reports Top-Line Data for LX2931 Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug

I previously covered Lexicon Pharmaceuticals LX2931 as part of an article here.  Today they released top-line data fro LX2931 in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

"the data also suggested that patients treated with 150 mg once daily of LX2931 showed an improvement in the primary efficacy endpoint, the percentage of patients achieving an American College of Rheumatology 20 (ACR20) response at week 12 (60% versus 49% for placebo).  Patients treated with 70 mg or 110 mg once daily did not indicate improvement in the ACR20 at week 12 (44% and 41% response rates, respectively) relative to placebo. Adverse events for all three LX2931 dose groups were predominantly mild-to-moderate, with frequencies similar to the placebo group."

So, we have no improvement with the 70mg and 110mg dose and only a 60% vs. 49% (placebo) in the 150mg dose. Lexicon reported 'disappointment' that the placebo effect was unusually high in this trial. However, this could indicate a soft trial base.

Lexicon stated they want to initiate discuissions with potential partners over LX2931. However, I think the competition in Rheumatoid Arthritis is stiff and these results can, in my view, only be seen as a disappointment to Lexicon's prospects.