Does Catabasis Pharma Have a Chance After This DMD Study Flop?

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By Chris Lange Published
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Does Catabasis Pharma Have a Chance After This DMD Study Flop?

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Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CATB) was absolutely devastated on Tuesday after the company announced top-line results from its late-stage study in muscular dystrophy. As a result, the company is evaluating what to do going forward.

In terms of the specifics, the results come from its Phase 3 PolarisDMD trial of edasalonexent in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Unfortunately, the study did not meet the primary endpoint, and the secondary endpoint did not show any statistically significant improvements.

The primary endpoint was a change from baseline in the North Star Ambulatory Assessment over one year of edasalonexent compared to placebo. While the secondary endpoint was timed function tests (time to stand, 10-meter walk/run and four-stair climb).

Catabasis is stopping activities related to the development of edasalonexent, including the ongoing GalaxyDMD open-label extension trial.

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On the plus side, edasalonexent was observed to be generally safe and well-tolerated in this trial, but this isn’t even close to enough without the efficacy. There were no treatment-related serious adverse events and no dose reductions.

Looking ahead, the firm plans to work with external advisors to explore and evaluate strategic options going forward.

The company plans to report its most recent quarterly numbers in November. The company had cash and cash equivalents totaling $52.9 million as of the end of September.

Even before Tuesday’s move, Catabasis Pharmaceuticals stock had underperformed the broad markets with a decline of about 9% year to date. In the past 52 weeks, the stock was up about 8%.

Catabasis Pharmaceuticals stock traded down about 69% to $1.67 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $1.63 to $8.59. The consensus price target is $33.00.

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Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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