Roche cancels asthma development of daclizumab

Roche has announced it has decided to cancel the development of daclizumab for the treatment of cancer.

Daclizumab, a compound developed in conjunction with PDL BioPharma, is being investigated for other uses in programmes that will not be affected by Roche’s latest decision.

Following a product portfolio review, Roche decided to return the asthma rights for daclizumab to PDL, which will continue to develop the compound.

However, both companies will continue planning phase II trials for the use of the compound in transplant maintenance treatment.

Mark McDade, chief executive officer of PDL, “We are evaluating opportunities to establish a new collaboration and would need to partner this program in order to further develop daclizumab in asthma.”

“In the meantime, we will redouble our efforts to focus daclizumab development in MS and chronic transplant,” he added.

PDL is also developing daclizumab with Biogen Idec for indications in multiple sclerosis, as well as others not involving transplant maintenance.

Daclizumab is currently manufactured by Roche and has been approved by NICE for kidney transplant patients.

PDL has been involved in the development of several other marketed drugs, such as Herceptin, Raptiva and Avastin, as well as Mylotarg, the Wyeth treatment for relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia.

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