UCB and Novartis Discontinue Development of Parkinson’s Disease Drug After Phase 2 Failure

Partnership Background: UCB and Novartis entered into a partnership in 2021 to co-develop and market two drug candidates for Parkinson's disease:
UCB0599 and UCB785314.

Drug Candidates:
UCB0599 is an orally administered brain-penetrant inhibitor of alpha-synuclein misfolding, and UCB7853 is an anti-alpha-synuclein antibody14.

Phase 2 Failure:
The lead program, UCB0599, failed to improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease in a Phase 2a trial, leading to the discontinuation of its development23.

Financial Agreement:
UCB received $150 million in upfront payments and was eligible for up to $1.5 billion in potential milestone payments under the partnership deal14.

Commercialization Rights:
If the products had been approved, UCB would have handled commercialization in Europe and Japan, while Novartis would have covered the US and other territories14.

Sources:

1. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/ucb-novartis-drug-candidates-parkinsons-disease/

2. https://bcbn.org/boston-cambridge-biotech-news/2024/12/16/ucbs-orchestra-hits-dud-note-novartis-partnered-parkinsons-asset-fails-phase-2/

3. https://endpts.com/ucb-novartis-say-a-phase-2a-parkinsons-study-failed/

4. https://www.biospace.com/novartis-inks-1-5-billion-deal-with-ucb-for-2-parkinson-s-drugs