(Reuters) -Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson said on Friday they would stop a late-stage trial of their experimental blood clot drug in heart attack patients, after an independent review found the study was unlikely to meet its main goal.
The trial was testing whether the drug, milvexian, could prevent repeat heart problems in patients who recently suffered acute coronary syndrome, a condition that occurs when blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a clot.
Shares of Bristol Myers fell 5% in premarket trading, while J&J slipped slightly.
The decision follows a preplanned interim analysis by the trial’s monitoring committee, which determined the drug was not expected to show a benefit when added to standard antiplatelet therapy. These drugs, such as aspirin or clopidogrel, prevent platelets from clumping together and forming clots.
No new safety issues were identified, the companies said.
Milvexian belongs to a new class of blood thinners that work by blocking a protein called Factor XIa. It is designed to prevent dangerous blood clots while avoiding the bleeding risks that limit current treatments.
Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson began collaborating in 2018 to co-develop and commercialize milvexian.
Two other late-stage trials of milvexian, one in atrial fibrillation and another to prevent repeat strokes, are continuing, with results expected in 2026.
(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)
