The only surprise following news that Roche and Biogen Idec have suspended phase III trials of ocrelizumab in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus was the limited impact it had on the shares of either company. Also known as RG1594, the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody was forecast to ring up blockbuster sales at its peak, but it now faces the prospect of being a relatively small contributor to both companies’ income in the immediate future.
As ocrelizumab is a follow-on to the blockbuster Rituxan, which itself is forecast to be eclipsed by Humira this year as the best-selling RA drug worldwide if all indications are counted, one might have expected investors to react negatively to the news. However, Roche shares fell less than 0.1% yesterday and Biogen Idec shares climbed nearly 1%.
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