Astellas said it has removed a Phase 1 cancer asset as well as a small molecule that came from its Mitobridge acquisition.
The Japanese pharma will no longer test the TSPAN8 and CD3 bispecific known as ASP2074, nor its PPARδ modulator ASP0367, according to Astellas’ latest earnings report for the fiscal year ending March 31.
ASP0367 came by way of Astellas’ relatively small acquisition of mitochondria-focused Mitobridge in 2017. The pharma company was investigating the small molecule in patients with primary mitochondrial myopathies in Phase 2 and patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in Phase 1.
With its Mitobridge acquisition, Astellas aimed to beef up its work on mitochondria, the organelles key to ramping up energy. When they go awry, diseases can occur in a host of areas: the kidneys, liver, muscle, CNS, eyes and ears, Astellas has said.
The mitochondria space earlier this month achieved a key moment when the FDA accepted Stealth BioTherapeutics’ NDA for an ultra-rare disease drug candidate after multiple hurdles with regulators. Biotechs in the field include ARCH Venture Partners-backed Pretzel, March, MitoRx, Lucy and Primera (all company names ending in Therapeutics), among others. Another, Minovia, is a partner of Astellas.
Meanwhile, Astellas said its Friedreich’s ataxia gene therapy can enter human testing after experiencing troubles with a previous version.