Immunovant Inc. reported that its lead drug candidate, IMVT-1402, achieved a 72.7 percent response rate in a trial of patients with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis, a result that significantly bolsters the drug's potential and sent shares in the company and its parent, Roivant Sciences, higher. The data provides strong proof-of-concept for the company's anti-FcRn technology in a highly competitive autoimmune market.
"These results in a patient population that has exhausted multiple prior therapies are highly encouraging," a company spokesperson said. "We believe IMVT-1402 has the potential to be a best-in-class therapy that offers a new option for patients with a range of autoimmune diseases."
The open-label trial enrolled 170 participants who had failed at least two prior advanced therapies. At week 16, the study observed response rates of 72.7% for ACR20, 54.5% for ACR50, and 35.8% for ACR70, which measure progressive levels of improvement. The company noted the drug was well-tolerated with no new safety signals identified.
For investors, the positive data de-risks the development path for IMVT-1402, which Immunovant is also testing in Graves’ disease, myasthenia gravis, and other autoimmune conditions. The company's $902.1 million cash position is expected to fund development through the potential launch in Graves' disease. The success is a strategic victory after the company discontinued a previous drug, batoclimab, to focus resources entirely on the more promising IMVT-1402 program, positioning it to better compete with rivals like Argenx in the FcRn inhibitor class.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
