NEWS OF THE WEEK O H inhibitor torcetrapib in 2006 after it increased, rather than decreased, the risk of death in a 15,000-person study. Later studies revealed N that the drug also failed to PHARMACEUTICALS: Development slow down the accumulation of CETP inhibitor evacetrapib of plaque in heart arteries. N fails in large Phase III study After the Pfizer bombshell, N companies developing CETP N CH3 N N inhibitors incorporated N A BLOW to its late-stage drug pipeline, Eli Lilly more safety and mechanis- F3C CF3 & Co. is pulling the plug on evacetrapib after the tic studies into their procholesterol drug failed to improve cardiovascular grams. Merck & Co., Roche, and Evacetrapib outcomes in a huge patient study. In addition to sending Lilly plowed ahead with CETP Lilly’s stock down by nearly 9% last week, the setback inhibitors that they said overcame the safety liability in shook the larger cardiovascular drug development field Pfizer’s compound. as watchers questioned the drug’s mechanism of action. But Roche ended development of its CETP inhibitor, Evacetrapib is part of a class of compounds that raise dalcetrapib, in 2012 because of lack of efficacy. With Lilly levels of high-density lipoprotein—or “good” cholesnow reporting a safe, but ineffective, molecule, many are terol—by blocking cholesteryl ester transfer protein questioning whether the approach is flawed. (CETP). The strategy differs from statin drugs, which “The commercial prospect of the entire CETP inhibdecrease levels of low-density lipoprotein—the “bad” itor class is again in doubt, with three out of four major cholesterol. In both cases the goal is to CETP outcome trials having failed,” avoid heart attacks and strokes by reducLeerink stock analyst Seamus Fernandez ing arterial plaque. “The commercial said in a note to investors. But early data from a Phase III clinical Merck continues to push forward prospect of the trial that enrolled more than 12,000 peowith anacetrapib, which is currently beentire CETP ple suggested evacetrapib was not effecing tested in a Phase III study that has inhibitor class is tive in reducing cardiovascular events. enrolled more than 30,000 people. Amagain in doubt.” Lilly will take a $90 million charge in its gen, meanwhile, paid $300 million last —SEAMUS FERNANDEZ fourth-quarter earnings as it shuts down month to buy Dezima Pharma, which has the program. Had it been successful, evaa CETP inhibitor in Phase IIb studies. cetrapib was expected to hit the market in 2018 and rack John LaMattina, a senior partner at the health care up annual sales of as much as $4 billion. Now, analysts venture firm PureTech Ventures, was head of R&D are questioning the health of Lilly’s new drug pipeline. at Pfizer during the torcetrapib setback. He suggests Lilly isn’t the only company to have been done wrong Amgen should scrap its program rather than risk a by the CETP target. In one of the most notable failures hefty investment in large studies that seem destined to in the drug industry’s history, Pfizer shelved its CETP fail.—LISA JARVIS
LILLY PULLS HEART DRUG
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NCW LOGO COURTESY OF ACS
OUTREACH National Chemistry Week kicks off a colorful celebration This year’s National Chemistry Week (NCW) promises to be full of color, with its theme, “Chemistry Colors Our World.” The annual outreach event, sponsored by the American Chemical Society, takes place on Oct. 18 to 24 and focuses on the chemistry of color. Volunteers from ACS’s 185 local sections will lead hands-on activities at elementary schools, museums,
shopping malls, and other public venues. The goal of NCW is to “bring chemistry and chemists to the community,” says George Heard, chair of the ACS Committee on Community Activities, which coordinates NCW with the help of the ACS Office of Volunteer Support. “We’ve chosen a theme that everyone can relate to, and it’s a theme that should lend itself to some easy, innovative, and fun activities.” The NCW publication Celebrating Chemistry, available in both English and Spanish, con-
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tains activity ideas and other resources. Also, ACS Productions will release a “Reactions” video on the darkest material in existence. And the American Association of Chemistry Teachers will offer lesson plans on color chemistry for high school chemistry teachers. This year’s community event is an art supplies collection drive, and students in grades K–12 can enter the NCW Illustrated Poem Contest. “What excites me most about NCW is how many volunteers we get,” Heard says. “It’s just amazing how many people we have doing something to celebrate.”— LINDA WANG
