Johnson & Johnson halts mid-stage trial of experimental eczema drug

Johnson & Johnson said on Friday it discontinued a mid-stage study of its experimental drug to treat patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis after it failed to meet efficacy goals in an interim analysis.

The drug, JNJ-5939, was being tested in patients with atopic dermatitis, or eczema, a skin condition that causes inflammation, redness and intense itching.

The drug was well-tolerated but did not meet the “high-bar” efficacy required to advance development, the company said.

Johnson & Johnson said it remains committed to developing treatments for atopic dermatitis, a chronic condition that affects more than 100 million people worldwide.

The company is developing other experimental treatments for atopic dermatitis, including bispecific antibodies NM26, PX128 and PX130, as well as an oral STAT6 inhibitor, KP‑723.

Eczema has multiple approved treatments, such as Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent, AbbVie’s Rinvoq, Pfizer’s Cibinqo, Eli Lilly’s Ebglyss, as well as some generic drugs such as cetirizine.