GSK drops late-stage diabetes drug

GlaxoSmithKline has reported that GI262570, a peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor agonist in Phase III clinical evaluation, has not met its target profile as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. As a result, "development of the compound for this indication has now ceased and alternative indications are being explored," according to the firm.

The announcement of the demise of GI262570 in type 2 diabetes, made alongside GSK's third-quarter 2001 results statement (see page 2), emphasizes the need for the company to shore up its late-stage pipeline, albeit at a time when solid growth is being generated by its established products, in order to fill a product gap after 2003.

The development is not wholly unexpected, as GSK had intimated earlier that there were problems with the GI262570 program, but it comes on the back of a number of other disappointments in late-stage projects. Most recently, GSK stopped development of the candidate restenosis drug tranilast, once again at Phase III, which in turn followed on the back of problems with the irritable bowel syndrome treatment Lotronex (alosetron) and the issuance of a not-approvable letter in the USA for its pentavalent Infanrix vaccine and quinolone antibiotic Factive (gemifloxacin; Marketletters passim).