FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Roche said on Wednesday that a trial testing higher doses of its multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus did not show an efficacy benefit over the standard dose, a setback in a bid to further boost usage of the best-selling therapy.
The late-stage study showed no additional benefit of a two or three times higher dosage than the standard 600 mg version in slowing disability progression of relapsing multiple sclerosis, the Swiss drugmaker said.
Ocrevus is Roche’s best-selling drug and has been among the company’s major growth drivers, with 2024 revenues up 9% at 6.7 billion Swiss francs ($7.59 billion).
Roche has previously been seeking to widen usage forms of the drugs. U.S. regulators in September last year approved a subcutaneous or under-the-skin injection version of Ocrevus as an alternative to the more onerous standard intravenous infusion. Both are given twice a year.
The clearance will likely help it better compete with Kesimpta by Novartis, which patients can administer themselves through monthly injections.
($1 = 0.8828 Swiss francs)
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; editing by Matthias Williams)
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