Key Highlights

  • Agios Pharmaceuticals shares closed down 7% at $37.36.
  • Phase 2 data for tebapivat in sickle cell disease showed hemoglobin responses of 29.4% to 47.1%, versus 33.3% for placebo.
  • The company decided to halt the sickle cell disease program due to a lack of significant differentiation.

Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AGIO) shares closed down 7% at $37.36 after the company revealed Phase 2 data for tebapivat in sickle cell disease (SCD) and announced it would halt the program.

What Happened

The Phase 2 data showed hemoglobin responses ranging from 29.4% to 47.1% in the treatment arms, compared with 33.3% for the placebo group.

Due to a lack of significant differentiation from placebo, the company has decided to halt the SCD program.

Market Reaction

Shares fell 7% following the disclosure, reflecting investor disappointment over the discontinuation of the tebapivat SCD program.

Outlook

The disclosed information does not include specific forward guidance for Agios's other pipeline programs following the SCD program's discontinuation.

Why did Agios Pharmaceuticals halt its sickle cell disease program?

Phase 2 data showed hemoglobin responses of 29.4% to 47.1% versus 33.3% for placebo, a lack of significant differentiation that led the company to halt the program.

Why did Agios shares fall 7%?

Shares fell after the company disclosed the tebapivat SCD data and its decision to halt that program.

What were the specific hemoglobin response results?

Responses ranged from 29.4% to 47.1% in the treatment arms, versus 33.3% for placebo.