Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARWR) shares were down -17.73% at $69.90 at the last check in pre-market trading. Arrowhead stock closed the last session at $84.96, an increase of 2.58% or $2.14. ARWR stock traded between the price range of $82.20 and $86.01. ARWR traded 0.69 million shares, down from 0.79 million in its 50-day average daily volume.
Within the last 12 months, ARWR shares have grown 92.39%, and within the last week, they have decreased -5.08%. A total of 9.72% has been gained by the ARWR stock over the last six months, and a total of 26.67% has been gained over the last three months. ARWR stock has fallen since the company announced a clinical trial would be halted.
Which study has ARWR paused?
Arrowhead Pharma is dedicated to developing medicines that silence genetic causes of intractable diseases. ARWR therapies induce rapid, deep, and durable gene knockdown by triggering the RNA interference mechanism with a broad range of RNA chemistry options and efficient delivery methods. Living cells use RNA interference, or RNAi, to suppress the expression of certain genes, thereby affecting certain proteins. These natural pathways of gene silencing are utilized by ARWR’s RNAi-based therapeutics.
Arrowhead today notified regulatory agencies, institutional review boards, and investigators it would be voluntarily pausing AROENaC1001, a Phase 1/2 clinical study of ARO-ENaC, effective immediately.
- It was an investigational RNA interference (RNAi) therapy being developed by ARWR for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).
- ARWR made the decision after receiving a preliminary update from an ongoing chronic toxicology study that included unexpected evidence of lung inflammation in rats.
- Until additional results from both the chronic rat toxicology study and an additional chronic primate toxicology study are reported, ARWR instructed investigators not to conduct new screening, enrollment, or further dosing of investigational ARO-ENaC.
Arrowhead this week said its Phase 2b clinical study of ARO-ANG3 has dosed its first patient, an announcement that follows the first patient dosed in AROANG3-2001. ARWR was developing RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics as a treatment for mixed dyslipidemia patients.
How did the ARWR CEO respond?
The CEO and president of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR), Christopher Anzalone, Ph.D., stated that although this is difficult news for cystic fibrosis patients who need new therapies, ARWR has an obligation to ensure that those enrolled in our clinical trials remain safe at all times.
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR) believes that it needs to better understand the results from the chronic toxicology study in rats before proceeding with the current Phase 1 study, even though the data may not directly relate to the safety of continuing to treat patients.
ARWR’s pulmonary program may have to wait a bit because of this, but it comes with drug development. ARWR will analyze the long-term toxicology data it receives as soon as possible to determine how it might affect ARO-ENaC and the patients it intends to serve.
