Teva Pharmaceuticals said on November 2 that it will discontinue TOPAS-MSA, its Phase 2 study of emrusolmin in adults with multiple system atrophy, a rare neurodegenerative condition that impairs coordination, balance and movement. The decision followed a recommendation from the study’s independent data monitoring committee.
The stop was procedural rather than a completed negative readout. A planned interim analysis used a predictive futility assessment and met the predefined stopping criterion, meaning the study had a low probability of meeting its primary efficacy endpoint if it continued. That endpoint measured change in symptom scores over 48 weeks. Teva said the assessment was not the study’s final efficacy analysis and that no safety concerns were identified.
Emrusolmin, also known as TEV-286, is an oral drug designed to target alpha synuclein, a mechanism central to multiple system atrophy, and Teva is developing it with MODAG GmbH of Germany. Teva said discontinuing this study does not represent a final decision on the broader emrusolmin programme, and that it will complete a comprehensive analysis, including data from a separate open label extension study, before deciding the path forward and sharing findings.
For Teva the cost is strategic rather than financial in the near term. The programme was part of its effort to build an innovative pipeline beyond generics, and analysts cited by BioPharma Dive described the outcome as disappointing but not central to the investment case.