Stanford Rook's TB Drug Flounders

Phase III data on the efficacy of Stanford Rook's tuberculosis treatmentSRL172 (Mycobacterium vaccae) have been disappointing. The study was unable to show any difference from placebo when SRL172 was added to the current best treatment for TB.

The firm admitted that the prospects for the drug in this indication no longer look promising, and its share price plummeted on the news. By the close of the day of the announcement, Stanford Rook's share price had dropped by more than 70% to close at 150 pence from 540 pence. The group has said that it will now have to raise further funding before it has any prospect of moving into profitability.

SRL172 was unable to show a difference on either the primary endpoint (culture conversion within the first eight weeks of treatment) or several secondary endpoints, including the proportion of patients with negative cultures at each week over the treatment period. Follow-up of the study will now continue until March, while two other Phase III trials of SRL172 in TB, sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health and the Overseas Development Fund rather than Stanford Rook, are ongoing in Uganda and Zambia. These trials will continue to their conclusion.